Sadhvi to hoist flag a day before sadhus, to invite CM

NASHIK: Sadhvi Shri Trikalbhavanta Maharaj, who has been spearheading the campaign for a dedicated space to her group at Sadhugram in Tapovan and a bathing place at Ramkund, will organise an flag hoisting ceremony independently a day before the sadhus do it.
On Tuesday, she went to Mumbai to invite the chief minister for the flag hoisting programme of her group on August 18. The sadhus and mahants will hoist the Kumbh Mela flag on August 19.
“The Shri Sarveshwar Mahadeo Vaikunthdham Muktidwar Akhada Pari will hoist the flag for Kumbh Mela on August 19. We will perform the puja of the flag, apart from other rituals. We have informed the administration and they are cooperating,” Trikalbhavanta said. She added that she has sought time from the chief minister and will invite him for the event.
“Besides, we will invite the women and child welfare minister, all women leaders, sadhus, mahants and religious leaders for our event. We will welcome all who will attend our event. We will send invitation letters to all akhadas of the women,” she said.
About Mahant Gyandas Maharaj, the sadhvi said, “We will be sending invitation to him as well.” It’s now over a month now that Trikalbhavanta has been at loggerheads with Gyandas, the self-proclaimed national president of the All India Akhada Parishad, over recognition to her group, Shri Sarveshwar Mahadeo Vaikunthdham Muktidwar Akhada Pari.
She added that there were many women in mahila akhadas and she is asking for one more plot from the administration. At present, plot numbers 25 and 26 in section 4 have been given to such akhadas. “The administration has assured us to arrange ghats for us to bathe during the Shahi Snan days. I have also requested for a male and a female constable. Initially, they had given only one female constable and I felt that she would not be able to provide me with security single-handedly,” Trikalbhavanta said.
The sadhus and the mahants are maintaining silence over her decision to hoist the flag independently. While all-India Akhada chief Gyandas Maharaj was not available for comment, a mahant from an akhada said, “We will take a decision after getting the invitation letter. We cannot comment on it now.”
Last week, the administration had allotted land to the sadhvi’s group for the Kumbh Mela in Nashik. She had raised her demands with the district collector, divisional commissioner, guardian minister, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who was in the city for the Kumbh Mela flag-hoisting ceremony at Trimbakeshwar on July 14.
The women sadhvis had sought 10 acres of land and a separate timing for the holy dip during the “parvani” (special) days in August and September.