Going bonkers over a bath: Swami Avimukteshwaranand leaving Megh Mela without holy dip sparks row

Swami Avimukteshwaranand was scheduled to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. However, he was unable to perform the ritual and left the festival following a confrontation with the administration over arrangements.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, a Hindu seer, left the Magh Mela in Prayagraj “with a heavy heart” after he was unable to take the ceremonial holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on Mauni Amavasya, following a confrontation with the local administration. The seer staged a 10-day sit-in protest alleging disrespect after officials asked him to walk to the riverbank instead of proceeding in a palanquin. The Prayagraj administration is now reportedly weighing the possibility of arranging another opportunity for him to perform the ritual bath.

The incident, which happened on January 18, has snowballed into a major controversy, with critics accusing the authorities of slighting Swami Avimukteshwaranand, who identifies himself as a Shankaracharya. The matter has also reached the Allahabad High Court, where a petition has been filed seeking a probe into the episode.

When Swami Avimukteshwaranand approached the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati in a palanquin for the Mauni Amavasya bath, police and administrative officials stopped him. Citing heavy crowds at the Sangam, they asked him to dismount and proceed on foot, leading to a confrontation.

Swami refused, saying the directive violated the traditional protocol and dignity accorded to his position. Tensions briefly escalated, with his supporters clashing with police.

The Mela administration, however, alleged that the Swami and his supporters broke a barricade on a pontoon bridge and moved towards the ghats, creating significant challenges for the police managing the crowd. The administration has sent a notice to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, questioning on what basis he claimed the title of Shankaracharya, based on a Supreme Court order that had halted the appointment and consecration of Shankaracharyas. Devotees carry Swami Avimukteshwaranand in a palanquin to the Sangam in Prayagraj. (Photo: PTI)

Following the dispute, Swami Avimukteshwaranand staged a sit-in protest against the Magh Mela administration and state authorities over the alleged mistreatment. After continuing the protest for 10 days, he left the Prayagraj fairgrounds on January 28 without taking the holy dip, expressing distress and disappointment.