- Prayagraj administration prepared to apologise to Shankaracharya after Magh Mela controversy
- Shankaracharya and supporters were stopped from taking a holy dip at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya
- Officials halted the chariot procession to prevent a stampede and asked the seer to proceed on foot
Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj administration is ready to apologise to Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the seer's aide has claimed after a massive controversy during the Magh Mela.
The Shankaracharya and his supporters had alleged that they were stopped from taking a holy dip at Sangam in Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya (January 18), a day considered to be auspicious during the Magh Mela.
However, authorities claimed the seer's chariot procession was stopped to prevent a possible stampede in the crowded area, and he was asked to proceed on foot like other devotees.
The Shankaracharya staged a protest and eventually left the city on Wednesday without taking a dip, stating that the incident shook him deeply.
The officials were caught by surprise by his decision to leave the Magh Mela and go to Varanasi, said his media in-charge, Yogiraj Sarkar.
"The Prayagraj officials did not expect the Shankaracharya to suddenly leave the Magh Mela and go to Varanasi. They thought he would leave after the bath on Magh Purnima, that is, February 1, and they would be able to persuade him by then," said Sarkar.
Read: Shankaracharya vs Yogi Adityanath Escalates, Ayodhya Bureaucrat Resigns
After Shankaracharya arrived in Varanasi on Wednesday, two senior officials from Lucknow contacted him and requested him to return to the Magh Mela and take a dip on the upcoming Magh Purnima.
The Shankaracharya had then put two conditions, including a written apology from the officials responsible for the incident. The second condition was that protocol must be followed for all four Shankaracharyas.
The administration had even offered to take him to the Sangam in a palanquin in the presence of senior officials, he claimed, but he said that he declined the offer since his heart was filled with grief and anger.
An apology is now expected to quell the tensions that escalated to a bitter exchange between the Shankaracharya and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath earlier this week.
Without naming the Shankaracharya, Adityanath had warned people to be cautious of 'Kalanemi', referring to a demon from the Ramayana who disguised himself as a saint to trick Lord Hanuman. In his response, the Shankaracharya said Yogi Adityanath was now a politician and should leave matters of religion to seers like him.
The row left an impact even in administrative services in Uttar Pradesh. A senior officer serving as a deputy GST Commissioner in Ayodhya resigned from his post, stating that he could not tolerate the "insult" to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, PM Modi and others.
