Country’s first transgender storyteller to form new Kinnar Akhara

Prayagraj: Country’s first transgender storyteller Himangi Sakhi Vaishnav has announced that she will constitute a new Kinnar (transgender) Akhara before Maha Kumbh and camp as a separate entity at the mega religious event.

Presently Himangi is a Mahamandaleshwar of Nirvani Ani Akhara and has announced that she would part ways with it to constitute the new akhara to “unite all the kinnars of the country”.

The deity of this new akhara will be Ardhnarishwar.

This will be the second Kinnar Akhara as the first one was established on Oct 13, 2015, at Hasanpura Ashram in Ujjain.

Laxminarayan Tripathi was pronounced as the Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of this akhara. In 2019, this akhara became a part of Juna Akhara.

However, due to some mutual disputes, a founder member Mahamandaleshwar Bhavani Maa along with many transgenders based all over the country parted ways.

Now, Himangi plans to unite all the transgenders and form a separate akhara which will have Bhavani Maa too.

“Ardhnarishwar Dham will be set up in Maha Kumbh, and a new akhara will be formed. Just like the number of akharas increased from 8 to 13, we will demand recognition of Vaishnav Kinnar Akhara as the 14th akhara,” said Himangi.

Earlier, a ‘self-proclaimed’ offshoot of Juna Akhara– Shri Dashnam Shri Sant Guru Dutt Akhara — claimed to have separated from the parent akhara and wants it to be recognised as a monastic order. On Oct 26, some of its saints were consecrated.

President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, Srimahant Ravindra Puri, said no self-proclaimed akhara will be recognised. When the number of saints increased in the akharas established by Adi Shankaracharya, 13 akharas were formed.

“None of these 13 akharas are self-proclaimed as each of them their rich and ancient tradition. In such a situation, no one will get recognition as the 14th akhara,” he said.

The mela administration should ensure that no fake akhara is permitted to camp in the mela area, he added.

Courtesy : Times Of India

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