Mahakumbh Mela 2025: The world’s largest human fair ‘Maha Kumbh’ has started in Prayagraj, UP. This time more than 40 crore people are expected to gather in Kumbh. For which security arrangements have been made. Lakhs of saints and sages arrive at the Kumbh along with the devotees and special preparations are made for them, but the Naga Sadhus who gather at the Kumbh every time remain a subject of curiosity. Kumbh cannot be imagined without Naga Sadhus. Let us know how a Sanyasi becomes a Naga Sadhu or Sadhvi and how long has this tradition been going on.
Naga Sadhu in Kumbha
During Kumbh, Naga Sadhus take nectar bath in various Akharas where female Naga Sadhus wear saffron clothes. Naga nuns are never naked in public. Naga Sadhus keep long hair while Naga Sadhvis remain clean shaven and observe complete celibacy. There is also a gathering of nuns from across the country and abroad in Kumbh.
Mahant Divya Giri, the female nun of Kumbh, said that Naga nuns have a tradition in Kumbh. Earlier the Naga Sadhvis were a part of the old Akhara but now a separate branch has been created. The rules of Naga Sadhus are as strict as those of Sadhus. Like every time, this time also all the Nagas will take part in Amrit Snan, which is considered to be the biggest attraction of Kumbh.
Divine Naga Sadhus make their lives wonderful through penance. His identity is a body wrapped in earth and saffron clothes on his body. Tripund on the head, Rudraksh around the neck and Trishul in the hands give the impression of his presence. Most of the Naga Sadhus are worshipers of Shiva and Shakti, the chapter of which starts from their end. One by one he renounces his family, relatives and all the comforts of the world and then attains the Siddhi of Naga.
When did the Naga tradition begin?
Thanapati Dhananand Giri of the old Akhara of Kumbha says that only those who have received the title of Naga from Sant Samaj and Shankaracharya are allowed to remain Naga. A Naga Digambara comes forward to propagate the religion when the time comes, but what is the purpose of the life of a saint who performed his last rites with his own hands while he was alive.
There is rarely mention of Naga Sadhus as warriors in books, but history is witness to the fact that whenever the last attempt to save the religion failed, the Naga Sadhus have not only taken up arms to protect the religion, but also Have protected religion by giving or taking their lives. , Naga Sadhus have also fought big wars in their time to save Sanatan.
The texts of religious history mention that Adi Guru Shankaracharya established four monasteries in the eighth century, when the beliefs and temples of Sanatan Dharma were being continuously destroyed. From there he took up the responsibility of protecting Sanatan Dharma. This was the time when Adi Guru Shankaracharya felt the need that to protect the age-old traditions, scriptures alone are not enough, weapons are also necessary. After this, he started the Akhara tradition in which ascetics who would die to protect the religion were trained, Naga Sadhus are considered to be the protectors of the religion of the same Akhara.
The one who protects religion is called Naga Sadhu
To follow the path of protection of religion, Naga Sadhus have made their life so difficult that they can face even adverse circumstances. Because when someone does not struggle in his life then how will he be able to protect religion. It is said that in the 18th century, when the Afghan robber Ahmed Shah Abdali set out to conquer India, his brutality was so bloody that even today Abdali is called a thug in the pages of history. When he started establishing his dominance over spiritual cities like Gokul and Vrindavan, even the kings did not have the strength to match him, but the Naga Sadhus of the Himalayas defeated Abdali’s army.
