Nirmohi Akhara

Nirmohi Akhara (meaning "Group without Attachment")^[1] is a Hindu religious denomination. It is one of the 14 akharas recognized by the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad and belongs to the Vaishnava sampradaya.^[2] It is headed by Mahant Bhaskar Das.

History

It was established in 1720 by Ramanandacharya. The rich sect owns many temples and mutts in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Bihar. Members of the sect are expected to lead a simple and austere life of celibacy and accept Rama as their God. New recruits to the sect are mainly in their teens and can be from any Hindu caste. They are put through a grueling schedule of mastering the Hindu scriptures (Vedas and Upanishads) and martial arts. In former times, members of the sect had a mandate to provide protection to the followers of Rama and were provided rigorous training in archery, swordsmanship, and wrestling. Some of this curriculum still exists but is more moderate.

This group has been in the spotlight in connection with the Ayodhya debate since 1949 when it filed a suit to take over the disputed site of Babri Mosque.^[3]

They have renounced the material world for the company of God. They are “sadhus”, Hindu holy men often characterized by ascetic tendencies. They have claimed in court that there is no mosque called Babri Masjid at the disputed site in Ayodhya.^[1]

Lawsuits

Nirmohi Akhara filed a suit in 1985 (as per Allahabad High Court Judgement dated 30 September 2010, see below reference No.4) with the sub-judge of Faizabad, seeking consent to construct a temple for the Hindu God Rama in the area called the Ram Chabutra, adjacent to the Babri Mosque. The sub-judge held that two large religious structures in close proximity could potentially be a threat to public order. Permission was denied by the court, though the Nirmohi Akhara has since kept up its effort to reclaim the land and construct the temple.^[4]

In 1989, the Nirmohi Akhara filed a lawsuit against the Uttar Pradesh State government claiming that they had been worshiping the deities installed at a temple at the then disputed site since ancient times. Accordingly, they requested the Court to hand over management of the temple to the Nirmohi Akhara.^[5]

On September 30, 2010],^[6] a Lucknow panel of three judges of the Allahabad High Court pronounced the verdict on the case deciding to give a third part of the land to each party, namely the Sunni Waqf Board, Ram-Lalla Deity, and Nirmohi Akhara, with the Ram-Lalla Deity retaining its present position and the Nirmohi Akhara. The areas were named Sita Rasoi and Ram Chabutara within the disputed site.^[3][7]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Who Are the Nirmohi Akhara? Wall Street Journal - September 30, 2010
2. ^ http://www.firstfoundation.in/who_rel_H_Akhadas.htm
3. ^ ^{a b} http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ayodhya-land-to-be-divided-into-three-parts-HC/Article1-606452.aspx
4. ^ http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1907/19070040.htm
5. ^ Allahabad High Court Judgement summary, page 15, 17
6. ^ "Decision of Hon'ble Special Full Bench hearing Ayodhya Matters". http://elegalix2.allahabadhighcourt.in/elegalix/DisplayAyodhyaBenchLandingPage.do. Retrieved November 2011. 
7. ^ http://www.asianage.com/india/who-nirmohi-akhara-252