Mahakumbh 2025: Largest Hindu monastic order expels priest for accepting girl, 13, as donation

Juna Akhara, India’s greatest Hindu monastic order, has dismissed mahant Kaushal Giri for seven years for accepting a 13-year-old girl as a “donation” from her family and initiating her as a sadhvi (monk) before the Kumbh Mela’s initial bathing rite. According to the akhara’s top office bearers, the girl was returned to her family in Agra on Friday evening, and they have now imposed a minimum age restriction of 22 years for introducing women as sanyasi.

Giri, on the other hand, stated that the girl’s father freely handed his daughter to the Akhara, noting her wish to leave the world behind.

“Her parents had no objections. After completing the Dharmadhwaja and Pindadaana rituals, she would formally embrace sainthood,” Giri said.

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The act provoked outrage among top saints, prompting a gathering of senior Akhara authorities, including patron saint Srimahant Giri, spokesperson Narayan Giri, fair in-charge Mohan Bharti, and others, to address the situation. They unanimously agreed to remove Giri for breaking “ethical and legal” standards.

“The girl is a minor, and this was unacceptable. We decided that she should be sent back home. While we will adopt an abandoned infant if found, we will not induct women under 22 years of age under normal circumstances. The age limit ensures that a girl seeking sainthood is mature enough to make an informed decision. Children cannot be housed in our camps, and we have requested the authorities concerned to intervene and ensure such incidents do not happen again,” spokesperson Narayan Giri said.

An Akhada official stated that in order for a minor to become a sannyasin, her parents must first give an initial consent form. After six months, a final permission form, along with the minor’s consent, is necessary to ensure that the decision is not made rashly or in anger.

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The girl’s father, who owns a sweets business in Agra, took her and her sister to Prayagraj on December 26 to assist Giri with camp chores at the Juna Akhara camp in Sector 20. Their families stated that their dedication to Giri began more than three years ago, and they absolutely trusted him.

The girl’s mother, a housewife, stated that their relationship with Giri began when he performed religious speeches at the Kali Maa temple in their hamlet.

However, the girl’s grandpa, 65-year-old Rohtan Singh Dhakre, was against the choice. “She is not the right age for this. We were unaware of her joining the Akhara and only discovered out when the media arrived at our house,” he explained.

Her grandmother, Radha Devi, explained, “She does not live with us, so we were not informed.”

Child rights campaigner Naresh Paras also decried the event, calling it a breach of the Juvenile Justice Act.

“A child is not a commodity to be donated. Every child aged six to 14 is entitled to free and compulsory education under the Right to Education Act. This action breaches her fundamental rights,” Paras stated.

Paras has written to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), pleading for prompt action. He further stated that no Akhara is permitted to admit kids because they are neither licensed educational institutions nor in compliance with child protection legislation.

“If a child is left by their parents, they must be produced before the child welfare committee. The consent of a minor is legally invalid,” he stated.