246 women take Deeksha at Mahakumbh

Mahakumbh Nagar: The Gen-Z’s participation in the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj is turing into a historic movement.

This is attributed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s call to strengthen Sanatan values, making many embracing the teachings and leading the way.

According to sources, "This Mahakumbh is also notable for the significant involvement of women in Akhadas, reflecting an increasing interest in 'Matri Shakti' (women’s power) within Sanatan traditions."

For the first time in Mahakumbh history, 246 women have taken the Naga Sannyasini initiation at Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhada, setting a new record. This surpasses the 210 women initiated during the 2019 Kumbh.

Dr Devya Giri, president of the Juna Akhada’s women’s wing, said that "many of these women are highly educated and have joined after deep spiritual contemplation."

While the total count of devotees participated in the Maha Kumbh as of 8 PM on Sunday touched 43.53 crore, the religious camps led by prominent Sanatan Dharma leaders, including Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avdheshanand Giri (Juna Akhara), Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Arun Giri (Aavahan Akhara), and various Vaishnav saints, have witnessed a record number of women taking Guru Deeksha and committing themselves to the service of Sanatan Dharma, with over 7,000 women initiated across all Akhadas.

Delhi University researcher Ipshita Holkar, who is studying youth engagement in Mahakumbh, highlights the trend of more women paticipation during ongoing Maha Kumbh said that her survey, conducted at various entry points from Paush Purnima to Basant Panchami, found that four out of every 10 visitors are women, with 40 per cent belonging to the younger generation. A similar trend was observed in research conducted by the Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, indicating a growing interest among the youth in understanding Sanatan Dharma.