The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (; ), one of the organizations of

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Sants Sants is a neighbourhood in the southern part of Barcelona. It belongs to the district of Sants-Montjuïc and is bordered by the districts of Eixample to the northeast, Les Corts to the northwest, and by the municipality of l'Hospitalet de Llobr ...

'' (saints) and ''

sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. ...

s'' (ascetics) in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. The ABAP is composed of 14 ''

akhara Akhara or Akhada ( Sanskrit and Hindi: अखाड़ा, shortened to ''khara'' Hindi: खाड़ा) is an Indian word for a place of practice with facilities for boarding, lodging and training, both in the context of Indian martial artist ...

s'', or organisations of Hindu ''sants'' and ''sadhus.''

Nirmohi Akhara Nirmohi Akhara (English: "Group without Attachment")Who Are the Nirmohi ...

(involved in the

Ram Janmabhoomi Ram Janmabhoomi (literally, "Rama's birthplace") is the site that is hypothesized to be the birthplace of Rama, believed to be the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. The Ramayana states that the location of Rama's birthplace is on the ...

dispute in Ayodhya) and Shri Dattatreya Akhara are two of the prominent akharas which are part of it.

Organisation

The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad is based on the system of ''akharas'' in Hindu society. An ''akhara'' literally means a

wrestling ring A wrestling ring is the stage on which a professional wrestling match usually occurs. It is similarly constructed to a boxing ring and is traditionally square-shaped. Configuration and construction The configuration and construction of the tra ...

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

, but also stands for a place of debate. There are 14 such organisations based on the form of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

and

Hindu philosophy Hindu philosophy encompasses the philosophies, world views and teachings of Hinduism that emerged in Ancient India which include six systems ('' shad-darśana'') – Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.Andrew Nicholson ( ...

they adhere to. Most Akharas are

Vaishnavas Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

(devotees of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

) and Shaivas (devotees of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

History

The system of ''akharas'' may date as far back as early 8th century, when

Adi Shankaracharya Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

is believed to have established seven ''akharas'' (possibly 10 as they are also known as Dasnaami): Mahanirvani, Niranjani, Juna, Atal, Avahan, Agni and Anand Akhara. The earliest recorded founding of an ''akhara'' was that of the Abhana in 547 CE. During periods of Muslim rule in India and later

British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...

, the ''akharas'' congregated and organised together, especially during the ''

Kumbha Mela Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela () is a major pilgrimage and festival in Hinduism. It is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12 years, to celebrate every revolution Brihaspati (Jupiter) completes, at four river-bank pilgrimage sites: Allahabad (G ...

'' to work for the preservation of Hindu religion and culture. In 1565, Madhusudana Sarasvati started preparing ''akharas'' as an armed military force to resist invasions and protect Hindus.

Politics

While the ABAP does not participate in electoral politics, it has a position of great importance in Hindu society as a leading Hindu leadership organisation. At times, it has cooperated with the

Vishva Hindu Parishad The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) () is an Indian right-wing Hindu organization based on Hindu nationalism. The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda. Its stated objective is ...

(VHP), a Hindu religious organisation more openly involved in politics and part of the ''

Sangh Parivar The Sangh Parivar (translation: "Family of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh" or the "RSS family") refers, as an umbrella term, to the collection of Hindu nationalist organisations spawned by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which r ...

'' of

Hindu nationalist Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expression of social and political thought, based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. "Hindu nationalism" or the correct term ''Hindū rāṣṭ ...

organisations. However, the ABAP has also openly criticised the VHP for raising unnecessary controversies and refused to follow an agenda set by the VHP. The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad has encouraged and supported the movement for the construction of a Ram Janmabhumi Temple on the site where the now-demolished

Babri Mosque Babri Masjid (IAST: Bābarī Masjid; meaning ''Mosque of Babur'') was a mosque in Ayodhya, India, at a site believed by many Hindus to be the birthplace of Hindu deity Rama. It has been a focus of dispute between the Hindu and Muslim communi ...

stood in

Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhy ...

. The place is believed to be the site of birth of the Hindu deity

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bei ...

. In 1989, the

Nirmohi Akhara Nirmohi Akhara (English: "Group without Attachment")Who Are the Nirmohi ...

filed litigation regarding the site, and in 2010 their claim was upheld by the Allahabad High Court, which gave the ''akhara'' control of one-third of the site. The ABAP welcomed the verdict, asserting that it would prevent further exploitation of the issue by political parties. They are known to sanction anyone who misused Hinduism.

13 akharas

As of January 2019 there were 13 recognised ''akharas'', with Juna Akhara being the largest. Seven of these ''akharas'' were founded by

. There are 3 types of ''akharas''; Nirvani Ani Akhada, Digambar Ani Akhada and Nirmal Ani Akhada.

Nirvani Ani Akhada

It has the largest number of ''akhadas'' for the ''

Sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. ...

'' ''

'' and the

Naga Sadhus Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Ri ...

as well. There are seven Nirvani Ani Akhadas: * Shri Panchdashnaam Juna Akhada (

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

): It is the largest of the 13 Akhadas. The Juna Akhada follows the Dashnaami Sampraday of

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

founded by

. They worship Lord

Dattatreya Dattatreya ( sa, दत्तात्रेय, ), Dattā or Dattaguru, is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of yoga, venerated as a Hindu god. In Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Madhy ...

. The Kinnar Akhara (Transgender Akhara) is also under the Juna Akhada. * Shri Panchayati Niranjani Akhada (

Prayagraj Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the admini ...

): It is the second largest akhada. It was founded in 904 AD in Gujarat. Niranjani Akhada worships

Kartikeya Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesh ...

. The Niranjani Akhada consists of a lot of educated persons having doctorate and post graduation. * Shri Panch Atal Akhada (

): It is one of three oldest Akhadas. They worships Lord

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

and the holy symbols of Bhairva Prakash Bhala and Surya Prakash Bhala. * Shri Panchdashnaam Aavahan Akhada (Varanasi): It is the oldest monastic order. They worship

. * Taponidhi Shri Anand Panchayati Akhada (Nasik): It is the second oldest Akhara. The deity of this Akhada is Dev Bhuwan Bhaskar Suryanarayan. * Shri Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhada (

):The deity of the Akhara is Sage Kapilmuni and they have holy symbols like Bhairva Prakash Bhala and Surya Prakash Bhala. * Shri Panchdashnaam Panchagni Akhada/Shri Shambhu Panchagni Akhara (Junagarh): They are Brahmchari saints. They differ from other Shaivite akharas as they do not practice dhuni (the fire sacrifice) and do not consume any intoxicant and wear janau or the sacred thread.

Digambar Ani Akhada

It is also known as Bairagi Akhadas. They are Vaishnavas (followers of Lord Vishnu). It contains three ''akhadas'', they are: * Shri Nirmohi Ani Akhara (Mathura):It was formed in

Vrindavan Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in Hinduism as Krishna spent most of his childho ...

by uniting 18 Vaishnav groups. They worships Lord Hanuman * Shri Digambar Ani Akhara (Sabarkantha) * Shri Nirvani Ani Akhara (Ayodhya)

Nirmal Ani Akhada

It has three ''akhadas'' and they are known as Udasin. They are: * Shri Panchayati Bada Udasin Akhada (

): They follow the teachings of

Sri Chand Sri Chand (8 September 1494–13 January 1629, Gurmukhi: ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚੰਦ), also referred to as Baba Sri Chandra or Bhagwan Sri Chandra, was the founder of the Udasi sect of ascetic Sadhus. Early life He was the eldest son of Guru Na ...

, the elder son of

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated w ...

.It was founded in 1825 by Yogiraj Shree Nirvandev ji Maharaj in Haridwar. * Shri Panchayti Naya Udasin Akhada (

Haridwar Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district. The city is situated on the ri ...

) : It was formed by Mahant Sudhir Das in 1846 following a dispute with the Shri Panchayati Bada Udasin Akhada. * Shri Nirmal Panchayati Akhada (Haridwar): They follow Nirmal Sampraday .It was founded in 1856 in Punjab by Durga Singh Maharaj. It has close ties with Sikhi in Sanatani way.

References

External links

* {{Hindu Nationalism 18th-century establishments in British India Hindu organisations based in India Hindu religious orders