Dalit seer to be conferred top honor for the first time

A dalit seer would be elevated to the status of 'mahamandelshwar' (highest level of Hindu spiritual guardianship) by one of the prominent 'Akharas' (sects of sadhus, who have renounced the world) of the country.

According to sources in the All India Akhara Parishad (AIAP), an apex body of the 'akharas' in the country, the dalit seer Kanahiya Kashyap, a native of Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district, about 300 kilometres from here, would be conferred the top religious honor at a ceremony before the forthcoming 'Kumbh' (a congregation of the seers and religious sects from across the country) at Allahabad.

The AIAP president Mahant Narendra Giri said that it was the first time a dalit seer would be elevated to the level of 'mahamandaleshwar'.

''The objective is to show that there is no caste system in the world of the seers.....it will send a strong message to the society, where caste feelings are so strong,'' he said.

Kashyap, who was initiated into 'sanyas' around two years back, would be kept under observation until the conferring of the honor. ''His activities and conduct will be under observation....it is because such a top honour can only be given to a person, who lives like a true ascetic,'' Giri said.

Kashyap is a member of the 'Juna Akhara', which is one of the most prominent 'akharas' in the country and has a large following across the country.