The newly formed Kinnar Akhara, comprising transgenders, has been denied space in the upcoming Magh Mela in Allahabad after the All India Akhara Parishad (AIAP), the apex body of Akharas, declined to recognise their body as the 14th Akhara, earlier this year.
The Kinnar Akhara was formed in 2016 but was denied recognition earlier this year.
The head of the Kinnar Akhara, Acharya Laxmi Narain Tripathi, who has had a stint in Bigg Boss Season 5, seems unfazed.
“We do not need any certificate from the Akhara Parishad. We know how to fight for our rights and we will do so. We are born ascetics and closer to God. We respect the 13 Akharas and their saints and we are not comparing ourselves with them. We have been discarded by society and even our families so it is not unexpected that the Akharas are also discarding us”, she said.
Laxmi Narain Tripathi further said that the transgenders would make their own arrangements for stay during the Magh Mela and ‘no power on the earth could stop them from praying during the event’.
The Kinnar Akhara, sources said, had sought 1,500 square meters land, tents, 300 Swiss cottages, 50 toilets, 50 sofa sets, 200 chairs and adequate security for their Akhara.
Mela official Rajiv Rai, meanwhile, said that Kinnar Akhara was not in the list given by the All India Akhara Parishad and hence could not be allotted separate space.
With the transgenders determined to stay on the Mela premises for the entire month-long event, the local officials admit that it could create problems if they stay along with other devotees.
“Giving them space on a separate basis would invite the wrath of the Akhara Parishad and if they are allowed to mingle with other devotees, there could be problems of a different kind. We are trying to resolve the issue in order to prevent any clash of interest during the Magh Mela.
The Magh Mela begins in Allahabad on 2 January and will end on 13 February on Shivratri. The annual Magh Mela is a month- long event in which devotees from all parts of the country come together on the banks of Sangam, lead frugal lives, bathe in the rivers and attend discourses in various Akharas.