Shankaracharya Swami Sadanand Saraswati from Dwarka Sharda Peeth is not happy about the Waqf Board saying they own the land used for Kumbh Mela. He thinks if mosques were built elsewhere, there would be no problem now. He believes Hindus have a right to take back old sacred places. He said just because someone claims something in parliament doesn’t make it true.
He supports Hindu groups who want to stop non-Hindus from going to the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. He said if people don’t respect Hindu customs like saying “Vande Mataram,” they shouldn’t be at Kumbh. It’s a special religious thing for Hindus, like going to the Ganga river and other holy places. He added if Hindus cant go in mosques, why should others be in Kumbh?
The Shankaracharya also said we should call the Kumbh Mela bath “amrit snan” which means nectar bath, because the Ganges river is so important for Hindus. He wants all Hindus to go to Prayagraj for the Kumbh and take a dip in the Ganga. He also thinks religion should tell politicians what to do not the other way around, and that leaders should listen to religious leaders.