12 Dwadesh Madhav temples to get makeover in Prayagraj before 2025 Kumbh

Lucknow : The much-revered 12 'Dwadash' Madhav (Vishnu) temples in Prayagraj will get a facelift ahead of the Maha Kumbh-2025. Instructions in this regard have been issued by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“The chief minister’s vision is to present the Dwadash Madhav circuit as a sacred pilgrimage site before Maha Kumbh-2025. In this 125 km long spiritual circuit, along with promoting pilgrimage, development of essential tourism facilities will also be done,” said the official spokesperson.

The official added that the facelift would mean development of facilities in and around the temples besides restoration and repair work. It includes construction of grand entrances at the temples along with boundary walls, public toilets, provision of drinking water, shoe racks, interlocking and landscaping, pathways, roads, footpaths, benches, wall paintings, dustbins, passenger sheds, lighting arrangements and parking facilities.

The work would take place in a phased manner. In the first phase, the transformation of nine Madhav temples will take place, he said. It is a religious belief that after the creation of Universe, Lord Brahma established the Dwadash Madhav in Prayagraj. It is believed that to get the blessings of Kalpavas and holy dip in Sangam at Prayagraj, circumambulation of these 12 Madhav temples is a must.

Madhav temples, including Veni Madhav temple at Daraganj - considered to be the presiding deity of Prayagraj - are located in various areas of the city. In 'Treta yuga', under the leadership of Maharishi Bharadwaj, the circumambulation of the 12 Madhavs was done but in due course of time, the practice took a back seat. The temples were damaged during the Mughal and British rules.

Post-Independence, Saint Prabhudutt Brahmachari restarted the circumambulation in the month of Magh in 1961 along with Shankaracharya Niranjan Devtirtha, Dharmasamrat Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj after searching for the Dwadash Madhav. The practice ceased to exist in 1987.

However, in 1991, Swami Harichaitanya Brahmachari of Tikar Mafi Peeth (Jhunsi) again started the practice but the same was discontinued few years later because of ignorance from other religious bodies and administration.

In Kumbh 2019, the parikrama was resumed on February 6 with the efforts of general secretary of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad Mahant Hari Giri, a practice which is continuing till date.