Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath marked the occasion of Basant Panchami by extending greetings to the public through a post on social media platform X. In his message, he described the festival as a symbol of new beginnings, creativity and consciousness, and prayed to Goddess Saraswati for light and wisdom in everyone’s life. At the same time, a growing dispute unfolded in Prayagraj where Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand declined to take a holy dip at the Sangam even on Basant Panchami. He reiterated that his Mauni Amavasya snan remains incomplete due to administrative issues and maintained that no further ritual bathing is possible without its completion. While thousands of devotees gathered at the Sangam, silence prevailed outside the Shankaracharya’s camp, highlighting the escalating stand-off with the Mela administration.


