Mahant Balbeer Giri to be anointed as Baghambari Math head today
PRAYAGRAJ: Respecting the last wishes Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) chief Mahant Narendra Giri, seers of Shri Panchayati Akhada Niranjani would formally anoint his disciple Balbeer Giri as his successor and the next Mahant of the Baghambari Gaddi Math here on Tuesday.
In his last will dated June 4, 2020 as well as in the purported suicide note found next to his body, which was found hanging in his room at the Baghambari Gaddi Math on September 20, Narendra Giri had named Balbeer Giri as his successor.
All preparations for the “Chadarposhi” (anointment) ceremony) of Balbeer Giri have been completed and would coincide with 16th-day post-death ritual or “Shodashi” of Mahant Narendra Giri.
“Huge pandals have been set up for the ceremony on which around Rs 1 crore is being spent by the Math. During this mega event, favourite items of Mahant Narendra Giri would be offered as ‘daan’ and ‘bhog’ keeping with the traditions. Selected seers would apply paste of sandalwood to the new mahant and offer ‘chadar’ (decorative piece of cloth),” said secretary, Niranjani Akhada, Mahant Ravindra Puri. The ceremony would also witness a select group of seers receiving 16 items like clothes, a cloth bag, a stick, utensils, an umbrella etc, he added. For the community feast that would follow the ceremonies, 60 cooks have been engaged and over 1000 sewadars (servitors) took up their responsibilities from Monday itself, Puri said.
For the ceremony, the entrance, venue and pathways have been decorated with garlands made from marigold which have been beautifully decorated along with artificial flowers.
Till late evening, Niranjani Akhara secretary Ravindra Puri was busy distributing invitation cards to the guests. Apart from seers and religious heads, the ceremony would also be witnessed by senior officials of the district administration.
As many as 10,000 seers from across the country are expected to grace the event. Acharya Maha Mandaleshwar (supreme head) of Niranjani Akharda Kailashanand Giri, Acharya Maha Mandaleshwar of Tapo Nidhi Shri Anand Akhada Swami Balkanand Giri besides a number of Maha Mandaleshwars (high priests) of various monastic orders including Swami Maheshanand, Swami Umakantanand, chief patron of Juna Akhada and ABAP general secretary Swami Hari Giri, ABAP vice president Swami Devendra Singh, secretary of Maha Nirwani Akhada Mahant Jamuna Puri and Kinnar Akhada’s Acharya Maha Mandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi are prominent among those expected to attend the ceremony.