Recently, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) – the supreme governing body of Hindu saints and seers in the country – has often been in the news.
Last month, ABAP President Mahant Narendra Giri found dead In his room at the Baghambari Math in Prayagraj. Soon after his death, a clear division was seen among the 13 akhadas that made up the council, as a faction of seven akhadas announced Mahant Ravindra Puri of the Mahanirvani Akhara as the organization’s president. rest group on monday Announced his name from Niranjani Akhara as the head of the organizationAfter the election in Prayagraj.
We explain what are akhadas, what are their importance, and what are the role, structure and duties of akhara parishad.
History of Akharas and Akhara Parishad
The word ‘akhara’ literally means wrestling ground, and the akhada system is believed to have been started by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD to create a warrior class that could fight for Hinduism against foreign invaders . The reason behind forming an army of sages was that they would not have a family of their own, and therefore would not be weakened by materialistic desires.
Initially there were four akhadas, but with the passage of time their number increased. As of now, there are officially 13 akhadas divided by their belief systems. There are seven akhadas of the sanyasi sect – Juna Akhara, Awahan Akhara, Agni Akhara, Niranjani Akhara, Anand Akhara, Nirvani Akhara and Atal Akhara. There are three akhadas in the Vaishnava sect, namely Nirmohi Akhara, Digambar Akhara and Nirvani Ani Akhara. There are three Akharas worshiping Guru Nanak Dev – Bada Udasi Akhara, Naya Udasi Akhara and Nirmal Akhara.
In 1954, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad was established with the main objective of organizing and managing the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious congregation attended by millions of Hindus. Another duty of the ABAP is to promote coordination among the various Akharas and resolve disputes between them.
Roles and Duties
In the present day, according to Mahant Ravindra Puri of Niranjani Akhara, who was declared ABAP president by a faction, the Akharas have the responsibility to lead the religious and intellectual fight and guide the society without using any weapons.
Being the supreme body of Hindu saints and seers, the ABAP and individual akhadas have influence in society, and are generally vocal about day-to-day social issues. ABAP is an independent body with its own rules. While the ABAP does not participate in electoral politics, it has openly supported the BJP in recent times.
After his election on Monday, Mahant Puri of Niranjani Akhara made it clear that the organization would support the saffron party. He said that ABAP will ensure the victory of Yogi Adityanath in the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. May be if BJP does not come back to power in Uttar Pradesh Ram temple may be constructed [in Ayodhya] may stop,” he claimed.
Election
There is a system in all the Akharas to elect their president on the basis of merit. For different akhadas, the term of the president ranges from three to six years, after which a chief is elected with the consent of all. Akharas do not have a minimum or maximum age limit, and there are instances where children have been appointed Mahants on the basis of their merit.
On the other hand, the President of the Akhara Parishad is elected by voting among all the 13 Akharas. Some call it a tradition of ABAP that if an office bearer of the council dies before the completion of the term, the post is transferred to someone from the same akhara. However, another group claims that as per the rules, the post of ABAP president is usually given on rotation basis.
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