Swami Adhokshjanand on Nashik Kumbh Mela 2015 — Uttaradhipati Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Adhokshjanand Devtirath, who claims himself to be the Shankaracharya of Govardhan Math, Puri, said they expected better Kumbh Mela this time with a “Hindu” government in the state, referring to the newly elected BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. The Kumbh Mela is scheduled to take place in Nashik in July this year.
“The 2013 Kumbh Mela at Allahabad was managed very well. The budget for Nashik Kumbh is around Rs 2,200 crore and for the first time, Maharashtra has a Hindu government. We expect better Kumbh from them. The condition should not become like Haridwar Kumbh,” he said.
He visited Ramkund on the banks of Godavari river, where the sadhus take the holy dip during Kumbh and ongoing work of the Sadhugram at Tapovan in the city. After the visit, the religious leader said the river was not fit for conducting Kumbh Mela. He urged the government to make the river free of pollution.
“The main attraction of Maha Kumbh Mela is the river. It is shown to people throw national and international media. If the river is in this condition then ….There is no water and the banks are very dirty. The state machinery should do something about it at the earliest,” he said.
On the decision of the godmen to bathe in the polluted river, he said the river was polluted but not unholy. “Sadhus and Mahants will bathe here. The river also does not get polluted because of the devotees bathing here but due to the sewage released into the river. The high court has ordered that the river should be cleaned. So, why did the government not do it and take the credit?” he said.