Alakhiya Akhara

The name of one subgroup of ascetics
within the Naga class of the Dashanami
order of Sanyasis. The Dashanami
Nagas are devotees (bhakta) of the god
Shiva, organized into different akharas
or regiments that follow the model of an
army. Until the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Nagas’ primary
occupation was as mercenary soldiers,
although they also had substantial trading interests; both of these occupations
have largely disappeared in contemporary times. The Alakhiya akhara is a
subunit of the Juna akhara, one of the
largest and oldest of the Naga akharas.
The name Alakhiya comes from the
word alakh (“without characteristics,” a
name for the Supreme Being), which
many Shaiva ascetics utter when begging for alms.
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Alakananda River
The Alakananda River near Badrinath Garhwal.
As a tributary of the Ganges, its waters are considered sacred.
Until the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Nagas were fighting ascetics, drawn largely from the
ranks of the shudras, the lowest Hindu
varna. According to tradition, these
fighting ascetics were recruited to protect the learned ascetics who, because
they were saintly and scholarly men,
could not protect themselves. The
Nagas also had substantial trading
interests. Two and three hundred years
ago, these akharas were very powerful,
especially in parts of the country
where the centralized government had
broken down. The Naga akharas sold
their services as mercenaries, lent
money at interest, engaged in trade,
and often owned large amounts of
property. The one place where the
divisions and subdivisions of the
akharas are still quite important is at
the celebration of the Kumbha Mela, a
bathing (snana) festival. There is a
strict order for bathing, and individuals get a place in line based on their
affiliation. Two hundred years ago,
being first in line signified political,
economic, and/or military dominance. The present bathing order
reflects each group’s relative importance from that time.