Mahanirvani Akhara

The name of a group of the Naga class of
the Dashanami Sanyasis, a type of
renunciant ascetic. The Dashanami
Nagas are devotees (bhakta) of the god
Shiva, organized into different akharas
or regiments on the model of an army.
Until the beginning of the nineteenth
century, the Nagas’ primary occupation
was as mercenary soldiers or traders;
both of these have largely disappeared
in contemporary times. This akhara is
described as taking part in a battle with
the forces of the Moghul emperor
Aurangzeb in 1664, and are credited
with saving the city of Benares from
being sacked.
The Mahanirvani Akhara is one of
the seven main Dashanami Naga akharas and remains one of most influential.
The principal center of the Mahanirvani
Akhara is in Allahabad, site of the largest
and most important bathing (snana)
festivals, known as the Kumbha Mela.
Their strength in Allahabad has allowed
them to assume the most desirable spot
at the head of the bathing procession
during the Kumbha Mela. Each of the
akharas has a (guardian) deity who
defines their organizational identity; the
tutelary deity of the Mahanirvani Akhara
is the great sage Kapila.