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Mahakumbh-2025: Over 1,000 women set to be ordained, gain entry into Akhadas

By, Mahakumbh Nagar (prayagraj)
Jan 19, 2025 05:02 AM IST

At Mahakumbh 2025, over 1,000 women ascetics will receive 'sanyas diksha,' marking a historic shift in Sanatan Dharma's traditions.

In the ongoing Mahakumbh 2025, the 13 Akhadas (recognised Hindu monastic orders) are gearing up to hoist the flag of tradition once again during the upcoming Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya on January 29 as they prepare to induct a new generation of ascetics with a significant surge in female ascetics.

Women sadhus of Juna Akhada at Mahakumbh-2025 in Prayagraj. (HT photo)
Women sadhus of Juna Akhada at Mahakumbh-2025 in Prayagraj. (HT photo)

The event is set to script a new chapter in Sanatan Dharma’s history as Prayagraj Mahakumbh records an unprecedented number of women ascetics receiving ‘diksha.’ Sanyasini Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhada’s female sadhus Divya Giri said more than 200 women are set to receive ‘sanyas diksha’ (initiation) under their Akhada during this Mahakumbh.

When accounting for all Akhadas, this number is expected to surpass 1,000, marking a historic milestone. Registration for diksha ceremonies is already underway, and the ritual is tentatively scheduled for January 27. In Sanatan Dharma, the decision to renounce worldly life and embrace asceticism is often driven by spiritual awakening or transformative life events, such as personal loss or disillusionment with materialism.

As per Divya Giri, this year’s initiates prominently include highly educated women who are choosing the spiritual path for deeper self-realisation.

Among them is Radhenand Bharti, a PhD scholar in Sanskrit at Kalidas Ramtek University in Gujarat. Hailing from Rajkot, she shared that despite coming from a prosperous business family, her quest for spiritual fulfilment led her to renounce worldly ties.

“I have been serving her guru for the past 12 years and is now ready to take sannyas,” she said. Likewise, Tapasya Giri, a teacher from Hansi in Haryana, is all set to formally become a sanyasin of Juna Akhada at Mahakumbh-2025.

“I was a teacher for many years but lost interest in it as well as all worldly ties. I have decided my life to God and Sanatan Dharma completely henceforth,” she added.

The Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhada has been at the forefront of recognising and elevating women’s contributions within the Akhada system. Recently, it granted a new, prestigious title to its women’s wing, renaming it Sannyasini Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhada instead of ‘Mai Bada’ as it was known earlier.

This decision came after female ascetics proposed the change to their patron, Mahant Hari Giri, who approved it. For the first time, the women’s wing also have its own dedicated camp at the Mahakumbh, bearing its new title.

Divya Giri shared that this recognition symbolises progress in acknowledging the contributions and aspirations of Matrushakti (women’s power) within the traditionally male-dominated Akhada framework.

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