13-year-old girl expelled from Juna Akhada for violating admission rules

Rakhi Singh, a 13-year-old girl, and her guru Mahant Kaushal Giri were expelled from Juna Akhada for admitting a minor

Prayagraj (UP): A 13-year-old girl who was admitted in the Juna Akhada recently to become a ‘sanyasin’ was expelled on the grounds that her entry into the monastic order was against the rules.

Rakhi Singh’s guru Mahant Kaushal Giri, who had given the girl ‘sannyasa’, was also expelled for seven years.

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Juna Akhada’s international spokesperson Srimahant Narayan Giri said on Saturday the girl was a minor and her entry into the Akhada was against the rules which don’t allow admitting women below 25.

He said the the matter of a minor girl joining the Akhada was discussed at a general meeting on Friday. It was decided unanimously to reject the girl from the Akhada and also expel Mahant Kaushal Giri Maharaj for seven years for admitting a minor girl, Srimahant Narayan Giri said.

He said the girl has been handed over to her parents with respect. According to the rules of Juna Akhada, woman aged 25 years or above are given admission. If a parent donates a minor boy to Juna Akhada, he is given admission in the Akhada.

Patron Mahant Hari Giri, Chairman Shrimahant Prem Giri and other senior officials of the Akhada attended the Friday meeting.

In the meeting, the saints expressed anger over Kaushal Giri accepting a minor girl as a donation without informing the Akhada.

The girl’s mother Reema Singh had said Mahant Kaushal Giri Maharaj had been coming to their village for the past three years to narrate Bhagwat Katha and it was there that her 13-year-old daughter Rakhi Singh took ‘deeksha’ from Guru ji.

She suddenly felt renunciation for worldly pleasures and expressed her wish to become a saadhvi to her parents. The parents considered their daughter’s wish to be God’s wish and handed her over to Juna Akhada.

Mahant Kaushal Giri inducted her gave her a new name, Gauri Giri.