A controversy has erupted over anchor and influencer Harsha Richhariya sitting on a chariot along with seers during Chhavani Pravesh procession by members of the Niranjani Akhara, a ritual marking their formal entry in the Maha Kumbh.
Swami Anand Swaroop, chief of Kali Sena, has objected to her conduct, saying Kumbh is organised for spreading knowledge and spirituality and should not be used as a publicity event by models.
Images of Richhariya in saffron robes during the Kumbh had circulated in various media but she had later reportedly clarified that she was not as ‘sanyasin’ (ascetic).
President of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) Mahant Ravindra Puri, however, downplayed the issue, saying wearing saffron clothes is not a crime and the young woman had taken ‘mantra deeksha’ from a Mahamandaleshwar of Niranjani Akhara.