Akhara Parishad to Ban Food Stalls by ‘Non-Sanatanis’ at Kumbh Mela, Rename Urdu Ritual Terms

Prayagraj: The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad announced on Wednesday its decision to ban “non-Sanatanis” from setting up food stalls at the upcoming Kumbh Mela and plans to rename traditional terms such as ‘Shahi Snan’ and ‘Peshwai’ to ‘Rajsi Snan’ and ‘Chhavni Pravesh.’

The council stated that this proposal, aimed at replacing Urdu terms with Hindi ones, has been submitted to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is expected to make a formal announcement soon.

According to Akhara Parishad president Ravindra Puri, the body will pass a resolution on the exclusion of non-Sanatanis from food stalls after Diwali and submit it for approval. He also emphasised the need to deploy only ‘Sanatani’ employees and officers at the Kumbh Mela to preserve the sanctity of the event.

Puri referenced recent cases of food adulteration across the country, including incidents involving spitting and contamination, as a reason for the restriction.

Additionally, he mentioned that police officers on Kumbh Mela duty should abstain from consuming meat and alcohol to align with the fair’s religious nature.

The Akhara Parishad, which includes 13 major Akharas such as Niranjani, Juna and Mahanirvani, held the recent meeting at the Niranjani Akhara in Prayagraj.

This move follows a similar renaming initiative in Madhya Pradesh, where the term ‘Rajsi Sawaari’ replaced ‘Shahi Sawaari’ in Ujjain’s Mahakal procession.