With unique style, young ‘katha vachaks’ take up relevant issues at Allahabad's Magh Mela

PRAYAGRAJ: From socially relevant issues like environment protection and road safety, young ‘katha vachaks’ are attracting a massive fan base at Magh Mela with their unique storytelling skills.
Be it Manas Pravakta Radhika Vaishnav or Swami Brijmohan Das Bansi Baba, they are not just star storytellers, but are also looking after the daily affairs of their camps. Moreover, several other young seers, including Swami Yogi Satyam Maharaj (Charkhi Dadri – Haryana), Swami Yogi Satyam Maharaj (katha vachak) and Acharya Dhananjay Shastri (Nageshwar Dham, Kurukshetra) are also popular among devotees.
Interestingly, these young seers apart from delivering religious discourses also handle the management of their camps at Magh Mela. Acharya Satyam Tiwari, camping at the ashram of Charkhi Dadri at sector no. 5, said: “I don’t have any management degrees but I handle all the affairs of the camp easily. I have learnt camp management from my guru Pithadhishwar Swami Brahmashram Maharaj, who is also the president of Akhil Bharatiya Dandi Sanyasi Parishad.”
Majority of the young saints and seers, camping in Magh Mela on the sandy expanse of the river Ganga, are handling activities in their guru’s huge ashrams and camps, being visited by thousands of devotees daily, in true ‘Guru-Shishya parampara’ (teacher-taught tradition).
Young seers educate people about protecting environment
Apart from preparing and leading routine puja, yajna, ‘guru sewa’, yoga and meditation sessions, the young seers with graduation and professional degrees are also educating people about the protecting environment and road safety issues. Many young seers and sadhus aged between 18 to 30 years are also managing ‘bhandaras’ (community feasts) within the camps. Besides, young seers are also interacting with ‘kalpwasis’ staying in their respective camp tents, and offering a helping hand in puja management, daily routine meetings, yoga and meditation camps. Katha vachak Radhika Vaishanav, camping at Ramanand Marg, said: “Apart from holding graduate and postgraduate degrees, I have been managing the camp activities of Brahmaleen Mahamandleshwar Swami Kapildev Maharaj Balanandacharya Nagar, Ramanand Marg, by the blessing of my guru.”
She added, “Waking up early in the morning and participating in routine puja and yajna, we take care of preparations of meals for saints, ‘kalpwasis’ staying inside camp and visitors arriving at the camp. Besides, I also take care of all petty affairs of the ashram, i.e., electricity supply, potable water, special puja arrangements within the camp and also ensure that every visitor gets ‘prasads’.” Young seers and saints claim, “We have learnt our skills on our own and for that, we don’t need any management degree. Serving mankind is our only motto and we take good care of gurus, seers, saints and ‘kalpwasis’ staying in camps. From preparing meals to arranging beds and serving each and every visitor, inspires us to do better in life.” Most young seers, associated with their gurus for years, have good knowledge of camps’ routine affairs. They are also experts in delivering religious discourses and connect with their devotees/pupils online, too. There are over 4,000 camps of seers and saints across the Magh Mela. The grace of their gurus offer them skills to run the management of camps and ashrams.