The 13 akhadas of the Kumbh Mela
Every recognised akhada — its tradition, its presiding deity, its seat, and where to find it in each of the four Kumbh cities.
Recognised akhadas
13
As recognised by the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad
Four traditions
7 · 3 · 2 · 1
Shaiva · Vaishnava · Udasin · Nirmal
Where they meet
4 cities
Every akhada camps at every Kumbh — but not always in the same way
Directory
All thirteen akhadas at a glance
Name, tradition, the presiding deity (ishta devta) each akhada is traditionally associated with, and the city usually given as its main seat.
| # | Akhada | Tradition | Ishta devta | Main seat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shri Panchdashnam Juna Akhada | Shaiva (Dashnami Sanyasi) | Dattatreya | Varanasi |
| 2 | Shri Panchayati Akhada Niranjani | Shaiva (Dashnami Sanyasi) | Kartikeya | Prayagraj |
| 3 | Shri Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani | Shaiva (Dashnami Sanyasi) | Kapil Muni | Prayagraj |
| 4 | Shri Panch Atal Akhada | Shaiva (Dashnami Sanyasi) | Ganesha | Varanasi |
| 5 | Shri Panchayati Anand Akhada | Shaiva (Dashnami Sanyasi) | Surya | Nashik |
| 6 | Shri Panch Dashnam Avahan Akhada | Shaiva (Dashnami Sanyasi) | Dattatreya / Ganesha | Varanasi |
| 7 | Shri Panch Agni Akhada | Shaiva (brahmachari order) | Gayatri | Junagadh |
| 8 | Shri Nirmohi Ani Akhada | Vaishnava (Bairagi) | Rama / Hanuman | Mathura |
| 9 | Shri Digambar Ani Akhada | Vaishnava (Bairagi) | Rama / Hanuman | Sabarkantha (Gujarat) |
| 10 | Shri Nirvani Ani Akhada | Vaishnava (Bairagi) | Rama / Hanuman | Ayodhya |
| 11 | Shri Panchayati Bada Udasin Akhada | Udasin | Shri Chandra (Sri Chand) | Prayagraj |
| 12 | Shri Panchayati Naya Udasin Akhada | Udasin | Shri Chandra (Sri Chand) | Haridwar |
| 13 | Shri Nirmal Panchayati Akhada | Nirmal | Guru Granth Sahib | Haridwar |
Ishta devtas and seats are as commonly listed; most akhadas also keep ashrams in all four Kumbh cities, and their internal leadership changes over time.
The four traditions
How the thirteen group together
Shaiva (Sanyasi) — seven akhadas
The seven Shaiva akhadas belong to the Dashnami sanyasi tradition and are devoted to Shiva, each with its own ishta devta. Juna is by far the largest and has the most Naga sadhus; Niranjani and Mahanirvani are the next biggest. Avahan and Agni are closely allied with Juna, and Agni is distinctive in admitting brahmacharis rather than Naga sanyasis.
Vaishnava (Bairagi) — three anis
The Vaishnava orders are organised as three anis — Nirmohi, Digambar and Nirvani — belonging largely to the Ramanandi tradition devoted to Rama. Each ani is an umbrella over many smaller akhadas and khalsas (individual camps under a mahant), so on the ground a Vaishnava zone looks like hundreds of small camps rather than three big ones.
Udasin — two akhadas
The Bada Udasin and Naya Udasin akhadas trace their lineage to Sri Chand, the elder son of Guru Nanak, and blend Vedantic and Nanakpanthi practice. Both have strong bases in Prayagraj and Haridwar.
Nirmal — one akhada
The Nirmal Panchayati Akhada is a scholarly order with roots in the Sikh tradition; the Guru Granth Sahib is installed in its camp. Its main seat is in Kankhal, Haridwar.
The Parishad, and the fourteenth
The thirteen are represented by the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, founded in 1954, which coordinates the akhadas' dealings with each Mela administration. A Kinnar Akhada, formed in 2015, has also taken part in recent Kumbhs, but it is not one of the thirteen recognised by the Parishad.
By city
Where the akhadas camp and bathe in each Kumbh city
This is where the four cities differ most — and what decides where you'll find a particular order.
| City | Where akhadas bathe | Where the camps are |
|---|---|---|
| Prayagraj | All thirteen at the Triveni Sangam | A dedicated akhada zone within the temporary Mela city on the floodplain |
| Haridwar | All thirteen at Brahmakund, Har Ki Pauri | Shaiva, Udasin and Nirmal orders largely at their permanent ashrams in Haridwar and Kankhal; Vaishnava orders at the Bairagi Camp |
| Nashik–Trimbakeshwar | Split: Vaishnava anis at Ramkund; the other ten at Kushavarta Kund | Vaishnava at Sadhugram, Tapovan; the rest around Trimbakeshwar |
| Ujjain | The Shipra front at Ram Ghat and Dutt Akhada Ghat | Camps along both banks of the Shipra, with dedicated akhada zones and ghats |
Exact plots are allotted by each Mela administration and can change from one cycle to the next.
On the ground
How to recognise an akhada camp
The dharma dhwaja
Each akhada raises its tall flag at the heart of its camp in a ceremony at the start of the Mela. Find the flag and you've found the camp's centre.
The gate and signboard
Camps (often called chhavnis) have a decorated gateway with the akhada's full name. In big Melas the sector number is shown too.
The ishta devta shrine
Near the flag stands a shrine to the akhada's presiding deity — Dattatreya at Juna, Kartikeya at Niranjani, Kapil Muni at Mahanirvani, and so on.
The dhunis
Around the shrine, sadhus sit at their sacred fires. In Shaiva camps you'll see Naga sadhus; in Vaishnava camps, tilak-marked bairagis and kirtan.
The kitchen
Every camp runs a bhandara (communal kitchen), and many feed visitors.
Worth knowing
Finding a specific akhada
In Prayagraj and Ujjain, look up the akhada's sector in the official Mela app or at information booths. In Haridwar, most Shaiva akhadas are at their permanent ashrams. In Nashik, first decide between Tapovan and Trimbakeshwar — that split matters more than anything else.
Procession order and Amrit Snan dates: Kumbh Mela Dates →
Keep exploring
Continue exploring
Ghats & akhadas explained
The basics of both.
Sadhugram, Nashik
Inside the Vaishnava camps at Tapovan.
Etiquette guide
How to visit a camp respectfully.
Questions
Frequently asked
Thirteen akhadas are recognised by the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad: seven Shaiva, three Vaishnava, two Udasin and one Nirmal.
Juna Akhada, a Shaiva order whose ishta devta is Dattatreya. It has the largest number of Naga sadhus.
The Nirmohi, Digambar and Nirvani anis, each an umbrella over many smaller akhadas and khalsas.
The Vaishnava anis bathe at Ramkund in Nashik; the Shaiva, Udasin and Nirmal akhadas bathe at Kushavarta Kund in Trimbakeshwar.
Many Shaiva, Udasin and Nirmal akhadas have permanent ashrams in Haridwar and Kankhal; the Vaishnava orders camp at the Bairagi Camp.
The body, founded in 1954, that represents the thirteen recognised akhadas and coordinates with the Mela administrations.
No. It was formed in 2015 and has taken part in recent Kumbhs, but it is not among the thirteen recognised by the Parishad.