On the eve of Mahashivratri, the narrow lanes of Varanasi hum with a palpable fervor. Tomorrow, as the moon wanes to herald the festival honoring Lord Shiva, a procession of ash-smeared ascetics will weave through this ancient city, their tridents glinting under the twilight. Leading the charge are the Akharas—venerable orders of Hindu saints and warriors—whose grand march to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple promises to be the beating heart of the celebration. With devotees streaming in from the Maha Kumbh, the stage is set for a ritual as timeless as the Ganges itself.
The Akharas, a constellation of monastic groups tracing their lineage to the 8th century, are no strangers to spectacle. On Wednesday, their ranks—swelled by Naga sadhus, the fierce, near-naked devotees of Shiva—will gather at Hanuman Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat at 5:30 p.m., embarking on a procession that will snake through Godaulia before culminating in prayers at the temple. Kaushal Raj Sharma, Varanasi’s commissioner, has orchestrated a meticulous plan: a three-hour morning darshan from 6 a.m., a half-hour window at 2 p.m., and the evening’s grand entry via Gate No. 4. “It’s a balance of tradition and order,” he said, noting the expected million-strong crowd.
This is more than pageantry. The Akharas are living relics of India’s spiritual and martial past, born in an era when philosopher Adi Shankaracharya rallied ascetics to safeguard Hindu traditions against invaders. Once armed defenders of temples, they evolved into custodians of faith, their name—derived from the Sanskrit for “arena”—nodding to their dual mastery of body and soul. Today, 13 Akharas stand under the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, split into Shaiva sects devoted to Shiva, Vaishnava orders honoring Vishnu, and Udasin groups blending Sikh influences. In Varanasi, it’s the Shaiva Akharas, particularly the likes of Juna and Niranjani, that will dominate, their Naga contingents embodying an austere devotion.
Their prominence here is no accident. Mahashivratri, falling on Feb. 26 this year, aligns with the closing days of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, a 45-day pilgrimage ending the same day. Thousands of saints, fresh from the Kumbh’s sacred baths, have descended on Varanasi, amplifying the festival’s scale. The Akharas, who lead the Kumbh’s royal processions with elephants and chariots, bring that grandeur to these streets, their ash-covered bodies and matted hair a stark contrast to the city’s colorful chaos.
Historically, the Akharas were more than mystics. In the medieval era, they wielded swords and spears, protecting pilgrims and shrines from marauders. Scholars point to the 16th century, when figures like Madhusudana Sarasvati armed these orders amid Mughal incursions. Over time, their weapons gave way to rituals, but the martial spirit endures—evident in the disciplined ranks that will march tomorrow. “They’re a bridge to our past,” said Dr. Anand Sharma, a historian at Banaras Hindu University. “Their processions are as much about heritage as holiness.”
The modern Akhara is a tapestry of contrasts. The Juna Akhara, the largest, boasts a diverse flock—Naga sadhus, Hatha Yogis, even the Kinnar Akhara of transgender ascetics—while Niranjani emphasizes education, and Atal preserves Vedic chants. Beyond spectacles like Mahashivratri, they run schools, feed the poor, and debate scripture, quietly shaping rural piety. Yet, they’re not without critique: Some on social platforms like X accuse the Parishad of stoking communal divides, a charge its leaders dismiss as misreading their mission.
In Varanasi, such debates fade against the immediacy of devotion. The city has braced itself—traffic rerouted, drones aloft, VIP darshan suspended—to accommodate the throng. On Thursday, the “Shiv Baraat,” a joyous reenactment of Shiva’s wedding, will follow, pushed back a day to ease the rush. But it’s tomorrow’s procession that locals await, a moment when the Akharas transform Varanasi into a theatre of faith.
As dusk falls on Mahashivratri, the clang of bells and chants of “Har Har Mahadev” will rise from the ghats, carried by an order that has endured for centuries. In their steps, Varanasi finds not just a celebration, but a reaffirmation of a living tradition—one that refuses to fade into history’s shadow. Pic Credit PTI.