13-year-old ‘Sanyasin’, her guru expelled from Juna Akhada, Mela

The decision was taken following an in-depth discussion by senior office bearers of the monastic order in a general body meeting held at its Mahakumbh-2025 camp in Tent City on Friday.

The 13-year-old ‘Sanyasin’ Gauri Giri, who recently made headlines after her much-publicised induction into the Juna Akhada, along with her guru Shri Mahant Kaushal Giri, have been expelled from the Juna Akhada and the Mahakumbh area.

Rakhi and her guru with her mother (File)

The decision was taken following an in-depth discussion by senior office bearers of the monastic order in a general body meeting held at its Mahakumbh-2025 camp in Tent City on Friday.

As per the patron of Juna Akhada, Mahant Hari Giri, a case of breaking the rules for becoming a sadhu was found, leading to the major decision. The guru, Shri Mahant Kaushal Giri, could not produce the initial ‘kachcha’ documents of the girl’s initiation into sadhu community, which led to the decision, he explained.

In view of this, the Akhara patron further informed that the minor-aged sanyasin, Rakhi Singh, also known as Gauri Giri, was handed over to her parents and expelled from the Mahakumbh Mela along with her guru.

Additionally, at the general body meeting, the Akhara authorities set a minimum age limit of 22 years for a girl to be inducted as a sanyasin into the Akhara.

Swami Hari Giri stated that the age limit has been fixed to ensure that a girl is mature enough to make a decision for herself. He said, “If a one-day-old child was found abandoned, the Akhada would adopt her, but would not accept the induction of girls below 22 years of age under normal conditions.”

As per Akhada rules, a preliminary ‘kachcha’ documentation is carried out for initiation, followed by a waiting period of six months to give the individual time to reflect on their decision. After six months, if the individual still chooses to proceed, permanent documentation is carried out.

It may be noted that in Juna Akhada, Agra’s Petha trader Sandeep Singh and his wife Reema Grihini had recently given their daughter, Rakhi Singh Dhakare, to the Juna Akhada. Shri Mahant Kaushal Giri included Rakhi in Juna Akhada and changed her name to Gauri Giri. When this information came to light, questions were raised about the 13-year-old sanyasin.

A video of Gauri Giri went viral, in which she is heard saying that she wanted to study and become an IAS officer, but her decision changed when she came to Mahakumbh. As the matter escalated, the police also intervened. On Friday, a group of sadhuss arrived at the Akhara Police Station in the Mahakumbh-2025 Tent City and informed officials about the ongoing meeting at Juna Akhada in this context.