Mahakumbh: How do female Naga Sadhus take baths during periods in Mahakumbh?
Mahakumbh ,In Prayagraj, on the occasion of Mahakumbh, 3.5 crore devotees took a holy dip and took a royal bath on Makar Sankranti. At this time, Naga sadhus and female sadhus from 13 akhadas have also reached there. First of all, after the Naga sadhus took a bath, the female sadhus took a bath. So, in the middle of this, the question often arises in people’s minds: What to do with female sadhus if they menstruate during Mahakumbh? How do they take a bath at this time?
Female Naga Sadhus bathe in the Ganges only on days when they are not menstruating. If she is menstruating during Mahakumbh, she sprinkles Ganga water on herself. From this it is assumed that female Naga Sadhus have bathed in the Ganges. The special thing is that male Naga Sadhus go to bathe in the river after bathing in the Mahakumbh. Female Naga Sadhus of Akhada are called Mai, Abdhutani, or Naagin. Before becoming a Naga Sadhu, they have to donate a pind during their lifetime and also shave their heads. To become a Naagin Sadhu, they have to observe strict celibacy for 10 to 15 years.
Female Naga sadhus are different from male Naga sadhus. They do not remain as digambaras. They all wear Gedarva-colored clothes. But the cloth is not sewn. So they do not face any problem during their monthly menstruation. And Naga saints participate in the Kumbh Mela. To become a Naga saint or sannyasi, one has to observe strict Brahmacharya for 10 to 15 years. To become a Naga saint, a guru has to ensure that the woman is worthy of becoming a Naga saint and has dedicated herself to God. Only then does the guru allow her to become a Naga saint. Before becoming a Naga sadhu, the woman’s previous life is examined to see if she is dedicated to God or not and whether she can do hard sadhana after becoming a Naga saint. Before becoming a Naga saint, a woman has to donate a pind while still alive and also shave her head.
After the Mundan, the woman is given a bath in the river, and then the female Naga Sadhu chants the name of the Lord throughout the day. Like the men, the female Naga Sadhu also worships Lord Shiva. In the morning she wakes up at Brahma Muhurta and chants the name of Lord Shiva, and in the evening she worships Lord Dattatreya. After lunch she chants the name of Lord Shiva again. The Naga Sadhu eats roots, fruits, herbs, berries, and many types of leaves. A separate akhada is provided for the residence of the female Naga Sadhu.
About 10 years ago, in 2013, the first Naga women’s akhara got special recognition at the Allahabad Kumbh. This akhara, located on the banks of the Sangam river, was considered an old sannyasin akhara. At that time, the leader of the Naga women’s akhara was Divya Giri, who completed her education as a medical technician from the Institute of Public Health and Vedic Medicine, New Delhi, before becoming a sadhu. In 2004, she formally became a woman Naga sadhu. Then she said that we wanted to do something different. The presiding deity of Juna Akhara is Lord Dattatreya; we want to make Dattatreya’s mother, Anusuya, our presiding deity.
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