Haridwar: A few days ago, the seers in Haridwar’s Akharas demanded replacement of Urdu words with Sanskrit mentioned in Hindu religious contexts. Last week, the apex body of seers in Haridwar has decided to convene a meeting of various akharas to pass this resolution.
Recently, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav used ‘Rajasi Sawari’ instead of ‘Shahi Sawari’ for Lord Mahakal procession in Ujjain which had led to stir among seers in Haridwar and they demanded to change all the Urdu words mentioned in Hindu contexts.
A meeting of various akharas will be convened soon
The seers also announced that a meeting of various Akharas will soon be held in Haridwar to pass a resolution advocating for the replacement of words like ‘shahi’ and ‘peshwai’ with their Sanskrit equivalents. This development follows Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s recent use of ‘Rajasi Sawari’ instead of ‘Shahi Sawari’ when referring to the Lord Mahakal procession in Ujjain.
Urdu words are symbolic of India’s slavery to the Mughals
The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, the apex body of seers in India, stated that these Urdu words symbolize India’s slavery to the Mughals. Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, explained that ‘shahi’ (royal) is frequently used in the context of the Kumbh congregation, where the royal bath is referred to as ‘shahi snan.’ He emphasized that the term ‘shahi’ does not align with Indian cultural traditions.
Words like Rajsi were used in ancient times for shahi or royal
Earlier, in ancient era, words like Rajasi were used but it changed in Mughal period. Mahant Ravindra Puri (Niranjani) noted that these words are from the Urdu language, while the language of ancient Indian Sanatan culture is Sanskrit, from which Hindi has originated. He further stated, “Words like shahi and peshwai are the Urdu words and symbolises slavery, reflecting pride of Mughal emperors.” He added that the resolution will be sent to the administrations of all cities hosting the Kumbh fair or similar religious gatherings.