Dharma Sansad and Mahamandaleshwar

Dharma Sansad and Mahamandaleshwar

Subject – Art and Culture

Context – The organisers of the dharma sansad in Haridwar have announced a “pratikarsabha” on January 16 to protest the FIRs registered against them in connection with the hate speeches at the three-day meeting last month.

Concept –

• A dharma sansad, literally, religious parliament, is a platform of Hindu religious leaders or sants, where decisions are taken on issues considered important to the dharma.
• The first dharma sansad was organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) at VigyanBhawan in New Delhi in 1984, where a decision was taken to launch the Ramjanmabhoomi movement.
• At the next dharma sansad held in Udupi in 1985, eight resolutions were passed, one of which demanded that Shri Ramjanmabhoomi, Shri Krishnajanmasthan and the Kashi Vishwanath complex should be immediately handed over to the Hindu samaj.
• The VHP’s dharma sansads are called by its margadarshakmandal, a body of 65 prominent sants from around the country, whenever, according to the sants, a need is felt to guide the Hindu samaj.
• The margadarshakmandal decides the participants, which include the sants from the akharas. These sants may participate themselves or send their representatives to the sansad.
• Over the years, newer organisations have called their own dharma sansads, which the VHP has tacitly approved. While the VHP organised the first dharma sansad in 1984, anybody could hold a dharma sansad.
• A dharma sansad simply is a meeting of sants, and that every akhara regularly holds its own dharma sansads.

Akhara ambassadors

• All 13 akharas in the country nominate mahamandaleshwars to propagate sanatan dharma as the representative of the akhara.
• The mahamandaleshwar has no role in the internal organisation and financial affairs of the akhara, which is run by an executive body of the akhara concerned.
• The akharas have their own norms for appointing mahamandaleshwars.
• In JunaAkhara, a prospective mahamandaleshwar’s name is proposed by an existing mahamandaleshwar or other senior functionary.
• In NiranjaniAkhara, an aspiring mahamandaleshwar should be educated, have knowledge of the shastras, should be able to propagate sanatan dharma, and should have his own ashram or at least an educational institution to hold satsangs and teach sanatan dharma.
  • There are more than 100 mahamandaleshwars of the NiranjaniAkhara working across the country.
• The mahamandaleshwars are part of the Peshwai procession of their akharas during KumbhMelas; they also hold satsangs during the Mela.