In India, which is entrenched in patriarchy, even Kumbh Mela, which many see as a great leveller, is a manifestation of male domination of Hindu power. From bare-bodied sadhus to those who embrace complete nakedness, it is the men who take centre stage, leading religious processions and rituals. The akhadas, seen as custodians of the Kumbh Mela, carry a legacy rooted in violence and war. It is believed that Naga ascetics defeated Aurangzeb's army in Haridwar in 1666, repelled Ahmad Shah Abdali in Mathura in 1757, liberated villages under Rajendragiri in Jhansi from 1751 to 1753, laid the groundwork for the 1857 rebellion in Haridwar in 1855, and defended Hindus at the Sindh border. In 2019, came the addition of the Kinnar Akhara, comprising trans and intersex people and hijras. Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, who formed the Kinnar Akhara in 2015, was the first transgender person to represent Asia-Pacific at the UN in 2008. She is an activist, an actress, a Bharatanatyam dancer, and a choreographer. Unlike other akhadas, which are only open to Hindu men, the Kinnar Akhara welcomes all genders and sexualities. As efforts like these attempt to carve out a more inclusive space, the question remains: Can Kumbh Mela evolve into more than an exhibition of masculine energy through ascetic orders?
Reporter/Script: Rani Jana
Editor: Sudhanshu Pandey
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Reporter/Script: Rani Jana
Editor: Sudhanshu Pandey
Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
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#KumbhMela2025 #MahaKumbh #PrayagrajKumbh2025 #Prayagraj #UP #ShahiSnan #Akhadas #NagaSadhus #Aghoris #KinnarAkhara #Inclusivity #Gender #Spirituality #TransRights #CulturalHeritage #TraditionAndChange
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00:00It is wonderful, the power of faith like that, that can make multitudes upon multitudes of the old
00:06and weak, and the young and the frail, enter without hesitation or complain upon such
00:13incredible journeys, and endure the resultant miseries without repining. It is done in love,
00:19or it is done in fear. I do not know which it is," wrote Mark Twain when he visited the Kumbh Mela
00:26in 1895. But in India, which is entrenched in patriarchy, even Kumbh Mela, which many
00:33see as a great leveller, is a manifestation of male domination of Hindu power. From bare-bodied
00:40sadhus to those who embrace complete nakedness, it is the men who take centre stage, leading
00:47religious processions and rituals. On the first Shahi Snan Day, before 3.5 crore devotees could
00:54take the sacred dip, the Naga sadhus were the first to march to the banks of the Triveni Sangham.
01:01With swords, trishuls, damroos and bows in hand, they displayed Hindu male power,
01:08their bodies smeared in ashes, chanting Har Har Mahadev.
01:13The next Shahi Snan is set to take place on 29th January, during Amavasya.
01:19Known for their celibacy and sattvic diet, consisting of freshly prepared, lightly cooked
01:25or raw foods, Naga sadhus strictly avoid processed foods and fried items. They embody a stark
01:33masculine presence, wearing no clothes and carrying weapons. Out of this, Naga sadhus
01:39are the first to march to the banks of the Triveni Sangham.
01:42Out of the 13 originally recognised Hindu monastic orders, only seven Akhadas include
01:48Naga sadhus. These are the Juna Akhada, Niranjani Akhada, Mahanirvani Akhada, Atal Akhada, Agni
01:57Akhada, Anand Akhada and Avaha Akhada. The Akhadas are divided into three main categories.
02:04Shaiva Akhadas, devoted to Shiva, Vaishnava Akhadas, devoted to Vishnu and Udasin Akhadas,
02:12tracing their roots to a sect founded by the son of Sikhism's first guru. All the 13
02:18originally recognised Akhadas continue to be led by men.
02:22The Aghoris, also Shaivist sadhus, do not participate in the Shahi Snan, as they believe
02:29such rituals drain their spiritual energy. Instead, they performed Masan Holi at the
02:35Kumbh, where they adorned themselves with skull garlands and threw ashes instead of colours.
02:41This sect, embodying a raw form of masculine energy, meditates in cremation grounds,
02:48covers their bodies with ash, uses human skulls as utensils and is known to consume flesh from
02:55human corpses. Unlike the Naga sadhus, Aghoris are not part of any Akhadas. The term Akhada
03:03itself is derived from the Sanskrit word Akhand, meaning inseparable, and traditionally referred
03:10to wrestling grounds used to test the physical strength of men. According to the Hindu Jana
03:16Jagruti Samiti, the rise of Jain, Buddhist and Muslim sects posed a challenge to Hindu dharma.
03:25In response, armed groups called Akhadas were formed. These groups combined spiritual practices
03:32with physical combat training to repel foreign invasions.
03:37The Akhadas, now seen as custodians of the Kumbh Mela, carry a legacy rooted in violence and war.
03:45While the Kumbh is celebrated as a space for spirituality and devotion, its origins are
03:51deeply entwined with these battles. It is believed that Naga ascetics defeated Aurangzeb's
03:58army in Haridwar in 1666, repelled Ahmed Shah Abdali in Mathura in 1757, liberated villages
04:08under Rajendra Giri in Jhansi from 1751 to 1753, laid the groundwork for the 1857 rebellion in
04:17Haridwar in 1855, and defended Hindus at the Sindh border.
04:22In 2016, the patriarchy of the Akhadas was challenged when Trikal Bhavanta, a female Hindu
04:30leader, staged a burial protest. Her all-woman Pari Akhada was denied permission to bathe in
04:37the holy waters. Then, in 2019 came the addition of the Kinnar Akhada, comprising trans and
04:45intersex people and hijras. Chanting Har Har Mahadev, members of the Kinnar Akhada made their
04:52way to the Sangam for the Shahi Snan this year. At the centre of the procession, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar
04:59Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi walked under an umbrella flanked by other Mahamandaleshwars of the Akhada.
05:07The Kinnar Akhada captivated everyone as they approached the riverbank wielding swords and
05:13thresholds. Draped in colourful sarees adorned with rudraksh malas, their foreheads were marked
05:20with the Tripundra Tilak, along with large bindis and tilaks for Hari. They presented a distinct and
05:27striking sight, a contrast to the other Akhadas. Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi, who formed the Kinnar
05:33Akhada in 2015, was the first transgender person to represent Asia Pacific at the UN in 2008.
05:42She is an activist, an actress, a Bharatanatyam dancer and a choreographer. She explained her
05:49inspiration came from the 2014 Supreme Court ruling that recognised transgender people as
05:56a third gender entitled to the rights and protections of India's constitution. Tripathi said,
06:03I was not at all religious, but after the court verdict, I had a space already in my religion,
06:10so why should I see another religion than the one I was born into? What was mine,
06:15had to be mine. We decided to reclaim it. In 2016, they participated in the Ujjain Simastha Kumbh.
06:24In 2019, they gained recognition from Juna Akhada and performed the Shahi Snan with them.
06:31Later in 2021, they took part in the Ardh Kumbh in Haridwar. Unlike other Akhadas,
06:37which are only open to Hindu men, the Kinnar Akhada welcomes all genders and sexualities.
06:43However, their recognition was not without resistance. In 2018, Narendra Giri, the
06:50president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada, Padeshid, opposed the inclusion of the Kinnar Akhada
06:56as the 14th member of the body. Tripathi countered, they don't know that a Kinnar is
07:02equivalent to a Devata and the Kinnar Akhada was officially recognised a year later.
07:08By identifying themselves with mythological celestial beings and invoking Hindu scriptures,
07:14the Kinnar Akhada has challenged the male-dominated, change-resistant, patriarchal
07:20world of the Akhadas. As efforts like these attempt to carve out a more inclusive space,
07:26the question remains, can Kumbh Mela evolve into more than an exhibition of masculine energy
07:32through ascetic orders or will it continue to remain a symbol of patriarchy, despite these
07:39efforts for change?