PRAYAGRAJ: The Naga sadhus are emblematic of Maha Kumbh – matted dreadlocks, bodies smeared in ash, and clutching tridents, swords, and wooden staffs, not as mere weapons, but as symbols of their fierce devotion and ascetic might.
For centuries, these warrior ascetics who trace their lineage to Adi Shankaracharya were an exclusive brotherhood, drawn largely from the privileged castes. But this Maha Kumbh signalled a shift in the rigid boundaries of social hierarchies.
For the first time in recorded history, over 20% of newly-initiated Naga sadhus hailed from Dalit and tribal communities. A total of 8,715 seekers renounced the world to embrace the path of Naga sadhus and sadhvis. Among them, 1,850 were from Dalit or tribal backgrounds. In a parallel transformation, about 250 women stepped into the austere life of Naga sadhvis.
They came from the deep forests of Chhattisgarh, the riverine villages of Bengal, the mist-laden hills of Arunachal and Tripura, and the heartlands of MP. Leaving behind their homes, families, and former identities, they shaved their heads and performed their own Pind Daan – a ritual traditionally reserved for the departed. In that moment, they severed their ties with the old world, walking into an existence where caste and lineage no longer define them – only their spiritual pursuit does.
The akharas, monastic orders that have long been bastions of Hindu asceticism, have been quietly working towards this transformation. “All akharas are running campaigns to stop conversion of tribal and marginalised communities,” said Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. “Many have chosen to take sanyas & dedicate their lives to Sanatan Dharma.”
The influence of Jagadguru Mahendranand Giri and Mahamandaleshwar Kailashanand Giri, both Dalit ascetics elevated to the highest religious ranks, has further inspired marginalised communities to seek acceptance within these traditionally insular spaces. “To stop conversions, it is necessary to bridge gap of caste, religion, and class,” said Shrimahant Narayan Giri, spokesperson of Juna Akhara. “This is what we are working towards, and that is why so many Dalits and tribals are embracing sanyas.”
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