Juna ("Old") Akhara - One of the seven subgroups of the Dashanami Sanyasis' Naga class of renunciant ascetics who are Shiva worshipers (bhakta).
The subgroups are called as akharas, and they are analogous
to army regiments.
The Nagas were largely mercenary soldiers until the early
nineteenth century, but they were also involved in mercantile trade; none of
these qualities apply now.
The sage Dattatreya is revered as the Juna Akhara's
"tutelary god," the principal deity from whom they learn; each of the
akharas has a separate tutelary deity.
According to some reports, Bhairava was the Juna Akhara's
patron god in the past, which would explain why the organization is also known
as the Bhairava Akhara.
The present name's literal meaning and association with
Bhairava suggest that it is quite ancient.
It is a vast organization that is only present in northern
India nowadays.
It is assigned a low rank in certain regions because it
admits members from poorer socioeconomic levels.
The Juna Akhara marched alongside the Niranjani Akhara in
the bathing (snana) processions at the Kumbha Mela until the middle of the
twentieth century, and was therefore regarded a minor portion of that akhara.
The Junas have been dissatisfied with their subordinate
position for much of this century, despite having considerably more members
than any other akhara.
The Junas first attempted to earn recognition as a distinct
procession in 1903 during the Haridwar Kumbha Mela, but did not get it until
1962.
The akharas decided that the Junas would lead the Sanyasi
processions during the Shivaratri bathing during a Haridwar Kumbha Mela.
However, on the other two main bathing days—the new moon in
Chaitra and the Kumbha bath on April 14—the Niranjanis would be first.
This system fell apart at the 1998 Kumbha Mela in Haridwar, when
the Junas asked that, as the biggest akhara, they be permitted to enter the
Chaitra bath first.
This argument erupted into a full-fledged riot between
ascetic groups and police on the day of the second bath, in which many people
were injured.
The fear was that similar violence might return on the major
bathing day, but when the Juna Akhara boycotted the bathing processions, the
day passed without incident.
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