Saurabh Mukherjee
The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) recently declared that only Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, or Jain shopkeepers will be allowed to operate businesses during the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
The ABAP's directive specifically restricts Muslims from setting up confectionery shops, juice or tea stalls, and dhabas within the mela grounds. However, shopkeepers from other religions, such as Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism, may be permitted to operate within the mela area.
ABAP President Mahant Ravindra Puri claimed that the decision was not intended to single out any particular caste or religion.
“This decision is not motivated by any animosity toward a particular caste or religion. However, frequent incidents involving the contamination of food have hurt devotees' sentiments," he said.
Meanwhile, Vijay Kiran Anand, the Mela Adhikari, told The Indian Express that the allocation of shops is managed through a competitive bidding process and that any vendor who meets the criteria qualifies for a shop.
“The shops are being allotted through a competitive bidding process. Whosoever qualifies the bidding criteria gets the allocation. There is no question of anything else,” he stated.
The decision has sparked opposition, particularly from the All India Muslim Jamaat. Its president, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, urged the Uttar Pradesh government to intervene, expressing concern that such restrictions could foster divisions and heighten anxiety among millions in India.
"Denying Muslims the opportunity to participate or conduct business at the Kumbh Mela poses a serious threat to social unity. This decision goes against the foundational values of our country, such as secularism and social harmony. When we aspire to live together as a society, such decisions inevitably push us toward division. Any fragmentation in society will negatively impact the nation's unity and development," Razvi said.
The ABAP’s announcement also comes amid internal tensions. Reports from a recent Akhara Parishad meeting in Prayagraj indicated disagreements among the sadhus over the allocation of mela land and which group will lead the ritual snans (holy baths).
Puri argued that the Juna Akhara, being the largest, should have the first snan date, traditionally reserved for the Mahanirvani Akhara. Puri commented, “We have made the tradition. Sanyasis make the tradition and they can change it as well.”
A meeting to finalize this decision is scheduled to be held soon in Prayagraj.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, slated to begin on January 13, 2025, in Prayagraj and expected to draw millions of devotees, is already seeing active preparations.
The ABAP's directive specifically restricts Muslims from setting up confectionery shops, juice or tea stalls, and dhabas within the mela grounds. However, shopkeepers from other religions, such as Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism, may be permitted to operate within the mela area.
ABAP President Mahant Ravindra Puri claimed that the decision was not intended to single out any particular caste or religion.
“This decision is not motivated by any animosity toward a particular caste or religion. However, frequent incidents involving the contamination of food have hurt devotees' sentiments," he said.
Meanwhile, Vijay Kiran Anand, the Mela Adhikari, told The Indian Express that the allocation of shops is managed through a competitive bidding process and that any vendor who meets the criteria qualifies for a shop.
“The shops are being allotted through a competitive bidding process. Whosoever qualifies the bidding criteria gets the allocation. There is no question of anything else,” he stated.
The decision has sparked opposition, particularly from the All India Muslim Jamaat. Its president, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, urged the Uttar Pradesh government to intervene, expressing concern that such restrictions could foster divisions and heighten anxiety among millions in India.
"Denying Muslims the opportunity to participate or conduct business at the Kumbh Mela poses a serious threat to social unity. This decision goes against the foundational values of our country, such as secularism and social harmony. When we aspire to live together as a society, such decisions inevitably push us toward division. Any fragmentation in society will negatively impact the nation's unity and development," Razvi said.
The ABAP’s announcement also comes amid internal tensions. Reports from a recent Akhara Parishad meeting in Prayagraj indicated disagreements among the sadhus over the allocation of mela land and which group will lead the ritual snans (holy baths).
Puri argued that the Juna Akhara, being the largest, should have the first snan date, traditionally reserved for the Mahanirvani Akhara. Puri commented, “We have made the tradition. Sanyasis make the tradition and they can change it as well.”
A meeting to finalize this decision is scheduled to be held soon in Prayagraj.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, slated to begin on January 13, 2025, in Prayagraj and expected to draw millions of devotees, is already seeing active preparations.
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