23 hours Ago By Rajiv Mani
1 2 Prayagraj : The third Akhara of sanyasis, Shri Shambhu Panch Dashnam Agni Akhara , entered their ‘Chavani' (cantonment) in the Kumbh Mela area on Thursday. Popularly called Agni Akhara, the seers and naga sanyasi entered the Chavani with full grandeur. The yatra (procession), called Chavani Pravesh (Peshwai), started from Anant Madhav Temple of Chaufatkka and commenced amidst the chanting of Vedic mantras, the sound of conch, and beats of damru.
A huge number of locals thronged to see the procession as seers moved towards the Mela area on a convoy of elephants, horses, and on thrones mounted on tractors. National general secretary of Agni Akhada, Someshwaranand Brahmachari, said that apart from five Mahamandaleshwars and Acharya Mahamandaleshwar, thousands of seers and Veda students of the Akhada participated in the Pravesh Yatra. The Chavani Pravesh of the Akhara was the longest among all the cantonment entry journeys of the Akharas completed so far.
This journey of seers covered a distance of around 13km. Arrangements were made for half a dozen camels, 15 horses, and 60 chariots in this journey. Flowers were showered on the procession as it passed through the area of the slain mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed.
One-third of the route of the Agni Akhara's entry procession was such that it fell in the western part of the city. There was a time when Mafia Atiq Ahmed terrorised this place, and organising such grand processions was a daydream for the people. When this procession passed through that area, the local people covered the entire route with rose petals.
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