The mortal remains of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) president, Mahant Narendra Giri, will be taken out for ‘nagar yatra’ (procession) in Prayagraj city on Wednesday.
All educational institutions and commercial establishments in the city will remain closed on Wednesday as a mark of respect to the departed saint.
Secretary of Niranjani Akhara, Mahant Ravindra Puri, said, “After the post-mortem of the departed seer, his mortal remains will be taken for the traditional bath at Sangam. We will then proceed to Hanuman temple and the procession will return to Baghambari Mutt in Allahapur.”
Mahant Narendra Giri would be given ‘bhu-samadhi’ on Thursday (September 23).
The vice-president of the Akhara Parishad, Devendra Shastri said that the ritual had bene postponed by a day because the inauspicious ‘panchak’ will end at 7.30 a.m on Thursday. The samadhi is not given during this period.
He further said that Narendra Giri would be given samadhi at Baghambari Math and a spot under a lemon tree has been selected, as desired by the deceased Mahant.
“He will be given samadhi in the sitting posture which implies he is in meditation. This will be done as per religious practice,” the seers said.
On the third day (September 24), the ceremony of ‘dhul roti’ would be performed and prasad would be given to devotees.
Mahant Balbir Giri, who has been named as the successor of Narendra Giri in the latter’s suicide note, said “All members of the panch (a body of eight seers of the Akhara) have arrived and they will hold a meeting on Wednesday after the nagar yatra.”
It is also learnt that although representatives of all the 13 Akharas have either arrived in the city or are expected to reach before samadhi, the all-important meeting of the Akhara Parishad will be held after ‘shoshthi’ (16 days after the seer’s demise).
The meeting will then formally elect the next president of the apex body of the 13 recognised monastic order of the country.