MAHAKUMBH NAGAR (UP), Jan 14: The Akharas began their ‘Amrit Snan’ during the Maha Kumbh Mela on Tuesday in celebration of Makar Sankranti.
The Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani and Shri Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara were the first to partake in this sacred bath.
The inaugural ‘Amrit Snan’ holds special significance, occurring one day after the first substantial ‘snan’ on Monday, which was held in the Sangam area for ‘Paush Purnima’.
A total of thirteen Akharas representing different sects are participating in this grand event.
Devotees, despite the freezing winter waters, moved in groups towards the bathing site, their chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, ‘Jai Shri Ram’, and ‘Jai Ganga Maiyya’ resonating in the air.
The Akharas had been informed about the schedule for the ‘Amrit Snan’ and the order in which they would bathe.
The administration of the Maha Kumbh Mela announced the specific dates, order, and times for the ‘Amrit Snan’ of the 13 Akharas of Sanatan Dharma on Makar Sankranti and Basant Panchami, as stated by the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday.
Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), informed PTI that the first ‘Amrit Snan’ was set to commence at 5:30 am on Tuesday.
He clarified that the traditional terms like ‘shahi snan’ and ‘peshwai’ have now been rebranded as ‘Amrit Snan’ and ‘Chhavni Pravesh’, respectively.
When asked about the reasoning behind these terminological changes, Mahant Puri, who also heads the Mansa Devi Temple Trust in Haridwar, explained, “We predominantly communicate in Hindi and Urdu. It would not be right to avoid Urdu entirely. However, when referencing our deities, we strive to ensure the terms are rooted in Sanskrit or carry a ‘Sanatani’ essence. This is not a matter of Hindus versus Muslims.”
According to Ashutosh Varshney, convenor of Amen Ram Naam Bank (a local NGO), this ‘Amrit Snan’ is significant as it is the first of its kind since the grand Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.
“It’s an extraordinary coincidence that two ‘snaans’ are scheduled back-to-back during the Maha Kumbh—Monday saw the major ‘snan’ for ‘Paush Purnima’ and Tuesday marks Makar Sankranti,” Varshney remarked.
“This overlap has attracted a large number of devotees, seers, and individuals from all walks of life to the holy city of Prayagraj,” he added.
This current iteration of the Kumbh is notable as it takes place once every 12 years, with seers indicating that celestial alignments for this event occur only every 144 years, enhancing its auspiciousness. (Agencies)
