The Juna Akhara, one of the largest sects of seers in the country, announced the end of its participation in the Kumbh Mela on Saturday, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal that participation in the ongoing gathering in Haridwar be kept symbolic in view of the surge in coronavirus cases.
Hindu seers in Uttarakhand have urged the state government to ban non-Hindus from participating in the Kanwar Yatra and operating businesses along the pilgrimage route.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Prayagraj to inspect the preparations for the Maha Kumbh 2025.
A 13-year-old girl from Agra, who dreamt of becoming an IAS officer, has renounced worldly life and become a Sadhvi at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. The girl, Rakhi, was influenced by the teachings of Mahant Kaushal Giri Maharaj of Juna Akhara, who had been conducting Bhagwat Katha sessions in her village for the past three years. Rakhi's parents, accepting her decision as divine will, entrusted her to the Juna Akhara. The family, who had rented a home in Agra specifically to educate their daughters, say that Rakhi experienced detachment from worldly life during the Maha Kumbh. The girl will be formally inducted into the ashram on January 19 after religious ceremonies.
Sadhus from the Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara take part in a Nagar Pravesh procession ahead of the Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj on Sunday, November 3, 2024.
Actor Mamta Kulkarni has renounced the worldly life at the Maha Kumbh and will be consecrated as a Hindu nun under the Kinnar Akhara. She performed her own 'Pind Daan' and will be consecrated as 'mahamandaleshwar'.
The Uttarakhand government on Sunday ordered an inquiry into the matter of underworld don Prakash Pandey alias PP being given the title of Mahant in Almora jail.
The Akhil Bharatiya Kinnar Akhara is the 14th akhara at the Maha Kumbh.
Hundreds of Naga Sadhus took a dip in the Triveni Sangam during the Maha Kumbh Mela on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
The don was renamed as Prakashanand Giri by the seers who introduced themselves as being associated with the Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara, headquartered in Haridwar and has its ashrams in the Kumaon region.
To accommodate the huge number of devotees, a high-tech kitchen has been established at Baba Satyapal Maharaj's pandal, ensuring seamless food preparation and distribution.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a dip at the Triveni Sangam in Mahakumbh Nagar on Monday and described the Maha Kumbh as a unique symbol of the Sanatan culture's philosophy, which is rooted in harmony.
The move drew criticism from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. Its president Mahant Ravindra Puri said that Mulayam Singh Yadav had always been "anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan".
The Maha Kumbh witnessed its third grand 'Amrit Snan' on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami, drawing hundreds of thousands of devotees from across the globe, all seeking spiritual liberation through the sacred dip, which was going on smoothly, officials said.
The 'Amrit Snan' by saints and seers of all 13 akharas on Mauni Amavasya, which was deferred after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh, concluded at the Sangam on Wednesday evening, officials said.
Seers from various 'akharas' took the first 'Amrit Snan' at the Maha Kumbh on Makar Sankranti on Tuesday as an unbroken stream of people converged at the Triveni Sangam on the occasion with around 3.5 crore devotees taking a dip.
Swami Shivanand Saraswati, known as the world's 'oldest saint', claims to be 129 years old and has been attending the Kumbh Mela for 100 years.
Many Dharmagurus attended the Shubh Ashirwad ceremony.
Among a sea of humanity that took the holy dip in the Sangam in their quest for 'moksha' on Monday was a large number of overseas visitors, soaking in the spiritual fervour at the world's largest gathering of humans.
The Maha Kumbh, the world's largest religious gathering, began in Prayagraj, India, with millions taking a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. Devotees from across India and the world converged for the 45-day event, which is considered to be a particularly auspicious one this year due to celestial alignments. The event is a major logistical challenge for the government, which has implemented several crowd-control measures and security measures to ensure the safety of the millions of pilgrims.
The state government had earlier told the apex court that the Maharashtra Police has punished "delinquent" policemen for dereliction of duties in the alleged lynching incident and sought dismissal of pleas seeking a CBI probe.
The pleas sought a CBI or a court-monitored Special Investigation Team probe in the incident that took place in the Palghar district in April 2020.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said media reports suggest that chargesheets filed in the case comprises of more than 10,000 pages.
Avdheshanand urged people to not come to the Kumbh mela for bathing in large numbers due to the COVID-19 situation and to follow the rules.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Maharashtra Police to place on record the second supplementary charge sheet filed in the case related to alleged lynching of three people, including two seers, in Palghar district in April last year.
While assembly polls in Goa and Uttarakhand were completed in a single phase, for Uttar Pradesh, Monday was the second of a seven-phase election.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and M R Shah said that 'with regard to this incident, this court has already taken cognisance. There is no question of multiplying the petitions one by one'.
The Enforcement Directorate had last week arrested Chhagan Bhujbal's associate and chartered accountant Sunil Naik in connection with the case.
The turnout for these seats was 57.92 per cent in the last assembly polls in 2012.
Braving scorching heat, a multitude of sadhus along with their disciples chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' took 'shahi snan' (royal bath) at Ramghat in Shipra river in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Friday.
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