Aspiring ascetics to provide family, educational details for getting ‘diksha’

ALLAHABAD : In the light of some past incidents that embarrassed the community of seers, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad— the apex body of Hindu Sants in India— has decided to be more careful than ever while choosing candidates for ‘Sanyas Diksha’.

Now aspiring seers will have to furnish their family details and educational background if they want to enter the fold of Naga Sadhu also in the 2019 Ardh Kumbh Mela.

The Juna Akhara was the first to start verification of the details provided by aspiring sadhus in Kumbh Mela in 2013. The Juna Akhara had to withdraw the much coveted title of Mahamandaleshwar from Radhe Maa after controversies surrounding her deepened.

Likewise, the title of Mahamandaleshwar was also withdrawn from Sachin Dutta ‘Sachidanand’ by Niranjani Akhara after some controversies surrounding his professional life and business surfaced.

His ordination ceremony was held in Allahabad on the occasion of Guru Purnima in 2015.

In order to avoid these controversies in future, the akharas will do the background check of all the candidates wanting to be Sanyasi or Naga Sadhu in the Ardh Kumbh Mela.

Only learned Sanskrit scholars will be allowed to enter the sect. Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Swami Narendragiri said besides having a good family, cultural and educational background the candidates having a good knowledge of Vedas and Sanskrit would be given Sansyas Diksha.

Thousands of sadhus arrive from all parts of India to take Sanyas Diksha from any of the 13 akharas in Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh Mela.

They perform extreme rituals like staying only on water for 24 hours and reciting Gayatri Mantra for at least 24 lakh times. After passing different stages, they get Sanyas or Naga Sadhu diksha.