Akhada Parishad to send list of ‘self-styled godmen’ to Uttarakhand CM to bar them from Mahakumbh
Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, the apex body of the all the Akhadas, has decided to prepare a list of such fake saints and self-styled godmen and send it to Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat so that they don’t get any recognition and facilities during the Kumbh through Kumbh Mela administration.
With less than a month left for next year’s Mahakumbh, Akhada Parishad has warned against the entry of fake shankaracharyas and self-styled godmen in Haridwar for the mega religious congregation beginning in January.
Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, the apex body of the all the Akhadas, has decided to prepare a list of such fake saints and self-styled godmen and send it to Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat so that they don’t get any recognition and facilities during the Kumbh through Kumbh Mela administration.
Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri Maharaj citing the recent demand of so called Gayatri Triveni Prayagpeeth pontiff Trikal Bhavanta Saraswati to get land allocation and other facilities for the Kumbh mela tenure said that no fake saints will be allowed to enter the Kumbh zone.
Citing the centuries old tradition of Sanatan Dharma of having only four revered Shankaracharyas namely the ones for Jyotirmath, Badrinath, Dwarka,Jagganath and Puri, Narendra Giri said that the state government should keep in mind that only four Shankaracharyas of these holy seats be given so-called status, recognition, land allocation and other facilities during the four-month long Mahakumbh.
Cautioning the Kumbh Mela administration to not get influenced by such fake saints, Akhada Parishad general secretary Mahant Hari Giri Maharaj said that from their level they are apprising the state government and Mela administration officials about the real and fake saints.
“We have sought names of such fake saints from across the country and as we get them, we will discuss and take a decision accordingly in our meeting. We have already urged CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and Kumbh Mela officer-in-charge Deepak Rawat to ensure fake saints don’t get entry and privileges during Mahakumbh,” said Akhada Parishad general secretary Mahant Hari Giri Maharaj.
Mela administration additional Mela officer Harbeer Singh said that allocation of land to Akhadas for Mahakumbh has commenced and respective Akhadas are being handed documents in this regard with the whole process being done in consultation with Akhada Parishad.
Notably, earlier in 2018 the Akhada Parishad had released in four phases list of more than two dozen “fake saints” ahead of Prayagraj Kumbh held last year to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
On the same lines, the Akhada Parishad is compiling the list of fake saints ahead of Haridwar Mahakumbh to be submitted to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.
“In recent times a large number of incidents of self-appointed, fake or controversial godmen ,pontiffs, Jagadgurus and Shankaracharyas have come into light .Even in previous 2010 Mahakumbh fake Shankaracharyas issue had come to fore. So, it is good that Akhada Parishad is taking up this issue ahead of Mahakumbh 2021,” said Mahamandaleshwar Harichetnanand Maharaj of Shri Panchayati Akhada Bada Udasin.
