Prayagraj, Jan 20 (NationPress) The Prayagraj Mela Authority has issued a notice to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, challenging his use of the title ‘Shankaracharya’, which is traditionally reserved for the most esteemed gurus of Sanatana Dharma, and requesting clarification regarding the authenticity of this designation.

Officials from the Mela Authority refer to a Supreme Court ruling, indicating that Swami Avimukteshwaranand is not recognized as the Shankaracharya of the Jyotirmath.

The notice raises concerns about the grounds for 'claiming' the title ‘Shankaracharya’ and has requested a response within a 24-hour timeframe.

It references the case titled ‘3010/2020 Jagat Guru Shankaracharya Jyotishpeeth P.S.S.N. Saraswati versus Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati’, which revolves around a protracted legal battle regarding the rightful Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math (Jyotish Peeth).

This case involves competing claims from P.S.S.N. Saraswati, known as Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, and Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, who both contest each other's qualifications and the legitimacy of their appointments.

The conflict has its origins in historical differences and has undergone examination by trial courts, High Courts, and the Supreme Court, particularly concerning injunctions and eligibility.

Both Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati (P.S.S.N. Saraswati) and Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, a disciple of Swami Shantanand Saraswati, assert their claims to the spiritual leadership of Jyotir Math, located in Badrinath.

In October 2022, the Supreme Court put a hold on the coronation of Swami Avimukteshwaranand as the new Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math in Uttarakhand.

Hindu scholars note that a peeth is traditionally not expected to function without a Shankaracharya.

The title ‘Shankaracharya’ is generally associated with the leaders of monasteries, or mutts, that adhere to the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism.

Adi Shankaracharya established four main mutts across India: the Jyotish Peeth at Badrikashram (Badrinath) in the north, Sharada Peeth at Dwarka in the west, Govardhan Peetha at Puri in the east, and the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka in the south.

The issuance of this notice follows a recent altercation between Swami Avimukteshwaranand's followers and the Magh Mela administration during the Mauni Amavasya bathing festival.

During this event, the spiritual leader accused the police of preventing him and his followers from taking a sacred dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.

In response, Swami Avimukteshwaranand initiated a protest outside his camp, refraining from food and water, and demanded an apology from senior officials of the mela administration and the police.

Mela Officer Rishiraj contended that the seer's supporters allegedly breached barricades on a pontoon bridge designated for emergency services.

District Magistrate Manish Verma noted that similar inquiries regarding the status of the Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya arose during the 2022 Magh Mela, prompting legal advice from the then-mela officer.