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Magh Mela: Standoff continues, Swami Avimukteshwaranand gets another notice, this one warns of eviction
The standoff follows an incident on Mauni Amavasya, when the seer’s palanquin was allegedly stopped from proceeding to the Sangam for the holy dip. Since then, he has not returned to his camp and has been staging a sit-in protest outside it
The standoff between the Magh Mela administration and Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, which began on Mauni Amavasya on January 18, continued with Prayagraj Mela Authority now issuing him another notice, this one with an eviction warning. The camp of Swami Avimukteshwaranand, who prefixes the title Shankarcharya to his name, has rejected the allegations mentioned in this notice.
The standoff follows an incident on Mauni Amavasya, when the seer’s palanquin was allegedly stopped from proceeding to the Sangam for the holy dip. Since then, he has not returned to his camp and has been staging a sit-in protest outside it.
According to the notice, dated January 18, the authority has accused the seer of violating administrative protocols by allegedly breaking barricades and reaching the Sangam Nose in a wheel‑mounted palanquin without prior permission for the ritual bath.
The administration claimed his supporters blocked routes, creating a situation that could have resulted in a stampede-like incident and serious loss of life. It also objects to the use of the title “Shankaracharya” on display boards at his camp, saying it misleads devotees and defies court orders.
The notice asks Swami Avimukteshwaranand to respond within 24 hours, failing which it would be considered that he has no objection, and his institution could face a permanent ban from future Prayagraj Melas. The seer, who has remained seated outside his camp since January 18, has been warned of expulsion from the Mela area.
On Thursday morning, a representative from his camp posted the notice on social media, alleging it had been secretly pasted behind the camp on Wednesday night while carrying the date of January 18.
In its formal reply, the Shankaracharya camp called the notice misleading, malicious, and factually incorrect. The reply clarifies that the administration’s allegation of a “carriage” is false, explaining that a carriage refers to a two‑horse vehicle with large wheels, something the camp neither owns nor has ever used. Instead, the seer was traveling in a traditional palanquin, carried by devotees and fitted with six‑inch steel wheels, with no horses or motor power involved.
The reply further states that when the seer left his camp, police personnel were escorting him, and it was at his request that they opened a barricade on the bridge.
On reaching the Sangam, however, police officials allegedly misbehaved with him, separated him from his followers, and dragged the palanquin, the Shankaracharya’s said. The letter claims that the palanquin was then placed in a spot where it slipped due to the slope and fell into the river. The seer was allegedly detained for hours by cops in plain clothes. The camp has also reiterated its earlier position regarding his coronation as Shankaracharya.
The camp has warned that if the administration takes any illegal action,”they will seek legal recourse and hold the responsible officials accountable.”
Magh Mela officer Rishi Raj said that the notice was indeed issued on January 18. He said the notice is being presented again and shared a photograph showing the vehicle at the location on the day in question, adding that video footage with the date is also available.
The other notice (dated January 19), issued by Prayagraj Mela Authority vice-chairman Rishi Raj, had stated that the dispute over the ‘Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth’ is currently pending before the Supreme Court. Referring to an appeal filed in 2020, the administration said that since the matter is sub judice, the use of the title “Shankaracharya” without a final verdict or clear directions from the apex court amounts to contempt of court.
The Mela administration sought a reply from Swami Avimukteshwaranand within 24 hours, asking him to explain why the disputed title had been displayed on the camp’s signboard. In his reply, Avimukteshwaranand had said the court order had come after the coronation.
MAURYA APPEALS TO SEER TO TAKE HOLY DIP
Commenting on the standoff between the Magh Mela administration and Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “With respect to revered Shankaracharya, I pray to him to have the holy bath (in Sangam)...Those people who have done this (against him) will be investigated...There is no (practice in our tradition) to insult or disrespect any saint, seer, Shankaracharya...Those who have done will be investigated and acted against...But first I pray to him to have the holy bath (at Sangam)”
Maurya made the remark while talking to newspersons in Azamgarh on the sidelines of an event.
