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Mahakumbh Paush Purnima Snan: Transgender high priest leads members of trans community to take holy dip

By, Mahakumbh Nagar (prayagraj)
Jan 13, 2025 06:38 PM IST

Swami Kaushaliyanand Giri aka Tina Ma, Maha Mandaleshwar (Uttar Pradesh) of Kinnar Akhada and member of Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Welfare Board, led a large group of her disciples and members of the trans community in a holy dip.

In a significant step towards fostering acceptance for the transsexual community in the realm of religion, Swami Kaushaliyanand Giri aka Tina Ma, Maha Mandaleshwar (Uttar Pradesh) of Kinnar Akhada and member of Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Welfare Board, led a large group of her disciples and members of the trans community in a holy dip in the Ganga near Sangam, on the occasion of Paush Purnima on Monday.

Maha Mandaleshwar (UP) of Kinnar Akhada Swami Kaushaliyanand Giri aka Tina Ma along with her disciples and members of the trans community taking a dip in Ganga on Paush Purnima at Ram Ghat in tent city on Monday. (HT PHOTO)
Maha Mandaleshwar (UP) of Kinnar Akhada Swami Kaushaliyanand Giri aka Tina Ma along with her disciples and members of the trans community taking a dip in Ganga on Paush Purnima at Ram Ghat in tent city on Monday. (HT PHOTO)

The members of transgender community took the dip and offered prayers between 5am and 6am at Ram Ghat of the Mahakumbh Nagar, drawing considerate attention from pilgrims and Kalpwasis who had gathered at the ghat from various parts of the country.

Kinnar Maha Mandaleshwar Swami Kaushalyanand Giri remarked that each of the main bathing festivals of Mahakumbh holds its own unique significance and spiritual virtue.

“I will be participating in the holy dip at Ganga and Sangam during all the main bathing festivals, as I have been doing for many years during Magh Mela, Kumbh, and Mahakumbh,” shared Kinnar Maha Mandaleshwar Swami Kaushalyanand Giri. “Today is particularly special as this bathing festival marks the beginning of Mahakumbh-2025. It is truly a divine experience to take a dip in the Ganga on such an auspicious occasion.”

She said that Mahakumbh, the grandest festival of Sanatan Dharma and faith, is a sacred opportunity for all followers of the Sanatan tradition to earn Akshay Punya by participating in holy baths during the main bathing festivals and undertaking Kalpavas on the banks of Sangam.

The Kinnar Akhada, a monastic order of transgender sadhus associated with the ancient Juna Akhada, has set up camp in sector 16 (Sangam Lower East Marg) of tent city for Mahakumbh-2025.

On the first Amrit Snan of the mela on January 14,, the akhada will witness its head, Acharya Maha Mandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, leading 100 Maha Mandaleshwars, Mandaleshwars, Peethadheeshwars, Mahants, Shri Mahants and other officials of the monastic order besides over 500 members of the community to take a dip in the Sangam waters by travelling along with the procession of Juna Akhada atop 51 ‘chariots’ for the formal ritualistic bathing of sadhus.

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