Magh Mela row deepens, Ayodhya seer warns Shankaracharya against entering town
A seer in Ayodhya has said Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda will not be allowed to enter the town unless he apologises for his comments against Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. The warning comes amid an ongoing row after the Shankaracharya was barred from taking a holy dip at the Sangam during the Magh Mela.
A prominent Ayodhya seer has warned that Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda would not be allowed to enter the temple town unless he apologised for his remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The remarks come amid a massive controversy that began with Avimukteshwarananda, who is at the centre of a row for being barred from taking a holy dip at the Sangam during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
“Avimukteshwarananda will no longer be allowed entry into Ayodhya,” Jagadguru Paramhans Acharya, head of the Tapaswi Chhawani in Ayodhya said, accusing the Shankaracharya of making “insulting” comments about Adityanath. He said the restriction would remain in place until a public apology is made. “Until he apologises to Yogi, he will not be allowed to enter Ayodhya,” the seer reiterated.
On January 18, the controversy began on Mauni Amavasya when Avimukteshwarananda attempted to proceed to the Sangam — the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati — in a palanquin for the ritual holy dip. Police and administrative officials stopped his procession near the ghats, citing heavy crowds, and asked him to dismount and continue on foot like other devotees.
The Shankaracharya described the move as an “insult” to the traditional protocol and dignity of his religious position and began a sit-in protest that lasted for around 10 days. His supporters also clashed briefly with police during the standoff. The Magh Mela administration, however, maintained that the restrictions were purely for crowd control and safety.
Avimukteshwarananda left the Magh Mela grounds on January 28 without taking the holy dip, saying he departed “with a heavy heart”.
Officials alleged that the Shankaracharya’s supporters broke a barricade on a pontoon bridge and moved towards the ghats, creating serious challenges for the police managing the massive gathering. The administration later issued a notice to Avimukteshwarananda, asking him to clarify on what basis he was using the title of Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth, citing a pending civil appeal before the Supreme Court that has put certain appointments on hold.
The controversy took a sharp turn when Adityanath, without naming the Shankaracharya, cautioned people to beware of “Kalanemi” — a demon from the Ramayana who disguised himself as a saint to deceive Lord Hanuman.
Hitting back, Swami Avimukteshwarananda challenged Adityanath to stop cow slaughter and beef export from Uttar Pradesh within 40 days and to declare the cow as “Rashtra Mata” to prove his credentials as a “Hindu sympathiser”.
“When I sat there for 11 days, no official asked me to take a dip. Now it is too late. I will go to the Magh Mela next year and take a respectful bath. Our credentials were asked for, and we submitted them. Now you have to give proof of being a Hindu sympathiser,” he had said.
He also questioned why camps of other claimants to the title of Shankaracharya were allowed at the mela, even as his own status was scrutinised.
With neither side showing signs of backing down, the controversy that began over a ritual bath at the Sangam now risks deepening divisions within the saint community and keeping the spotlight on the uneasy overlap between faith and power in Uttar Pradesh.
A prominent Ayodhya seer has warned that Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda would not be allowed to enter the temple town unless he apologised for his remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The remarks come amid a massive controversy that began with Avimukteshwarananda, who is at the centre of a row for being barred from taking a holy dip at the Sangam during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
“Avimukteshwarananda will no longer be allowed entry into Ayodhya,” Jagadguru Paramhans Acharya, head of the Tapaswi Chhawani in Ayodhya said, accusing the Shankaracharya of making “insulting” comments about Adityanath. He said the restriction would remain in place until a public apology is made. “Until he apologises to Yogi, he will not be allowed to enter Ayodhya,” the seer reiterated.
On January 18, the controversy began on Mauni Amavasya when Avimukteshwarananda attempted to proceed to the Sangam — the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati — in a palanquin for the ritual holy dip. Police and administrative officials stopped his procession near the ghats, citing heavy crowds, and asked him to dismount and continue on foot like other devotees.
The Shankaracharya described the move as an “insult” to the traditional protocol and dignity of his religious position and began a sit-in protest that lasted for around 10 days. His supporters also clashed briefly with police during the standoff. The Magh Mela administration, however, maintained that the restrictions were purely for crowd control and safety.
Avimukteshwarananda left the Magh Mela grounds on January 28 without taking the holy dip, saying he departed “with a heavy heart”.
Officials alleged that the Shankaracharya’s supporters broke a barricade on a pontoon bridge and moved towards the ghats, creating serious challenges for the police managing the massive gathering. The administration later issued a notice to Avimukteshwarananda, asking him to clarify on what basis he was using the title of Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth, citing a pending civil appeal before the Supreme Court that has put certain appointments on hold.
The controversy took a sharp turn when Adityanath, without naming the Shankaracharya, cautioned people to beware of “Kalanemi” — a demon from the Ramayana who disguised himself as a saint to deceive Lord Hanuman.
Hitting back, Swami Avimukteshwarananda challenged Adityanath to stop cow slaughter and beef export from Uttar Pradesh within 40 days and to declare the cow as “Rashtra Mata” to prove his credentials as a “Hindu sympathiser”.
“When I sat there for 11 days, no official asked me to take a dip. Now it is too late. I will go to the Magh Mela next year and take a respectful bath. Our credentials were asked for, and we submitted them. Now you have to give proof of being a Hindu sympathiser,” he had said.
He also questioned why camps of other claimants to the title of Shankaracharya were allowed at the mela, even as his own status was scrutinised.
With neither side showing signs of backing down, the controversy that began over a ritual bath at the Sangam now risks deepening divisions within the saint community and keeping the spotlight on the uneasy overlap between faith and power in Uttar Pradesh.