
LUCKNOW: Besides the rare celestial alignment leading to ‘Pushya Nakshatra’ after 144 years, the ongoing Mahakumbh is all set to be historical in many other ways.
Deemed to be the biggest religious congregation of humanity, the event will witness the women power in the spiritual realm at play.
The 13 Akharas (Hindu monastic orders) are gearing up to hoist the flag of Sanatan tradition yet again by inducting a new generation of women ascetics through ‘Diksha’ during the upcoming Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya on January 29.
The Snan would take place under the rare and pious Pushya Nakshtra.
The event is also set to script a new chapter in Sanatan’s history as Prayagraj Mahakumbh records an unprecedented 1000 women ascetics receiving ‘diksha.’
Sanyasini Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara Divya Giri mentioned that more than 200 women are set to receive sanyas diksha (initiation) under their Akhada during this Mahakumbh.
The cumulative count of women to receive Diksha may exceed the 1000 mark, reaching a historic milestone.
Registration for diksha ceremonies is already underway, and the ritual will tentatively be scheduled for January 27.
In Sanatan Dharma, the decision to renounce worldly life and embrace asceticism is often driven by spiritual awakening or transformative life events, such as personal loss or disillusionment with materialism.
According to Divya Giri, this year, those receiving initiation include highly educated women who are choosing the spiritual path for deeper self-realisation.
Among them is Radhenand Bharti, a PhD scholar in Sanskrit at Kalidas Ramtek University in Gujarat.
Hailing from Rajkot, Bharti shared that despite hailing from a prosperous business family, her quest for spiritual fulfilment led her to renounce worldly pursuits.
She has been extending services to her Guru for the last 12 years and is now ready to enter the world of asceticism.
The Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara has been at the forefront of acknowledging and elevating the contributions of women devotees within the Akhara system.
Recently, it granted a new, prestigious title to its women’s wing, renaming it ‘Sannyasini Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara’. This decision come after female ascetics proposed the change to their patron Mahant Hari Giri who approved it.
For the first time, the women’s wing will have its own dedicated camp at the Mahakumbh, bearing its new title.
Divya Giri mentioned that this recognition symbolises progress in acknowledging the contributions and aspirations of Matrushakti (women power) within the traditionally male-dominated Akhara framework.