If at all an amorphous living group of Sampradayas can be said to have a structure, that structure in Hinduism comes in the form of the Akhadas or Apex bodies of Hinduism. These bodies constitute a loosely knit federal structure that was created by Adi Shankara in the 8th Century AD – one of the more recent incarnations – to give stability to Hinduism. The Akhadas were ascetic warriors who for the longest period in the history of the country protected Hinduism from the invaders from the west. The 13 Akhadas of today are headed by a committee called the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad.
The head of this organization, Sri Narendra Giri Maharaj, in the recent Kumbh Mela praised Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam as the backbone of Hinduism and as Bhagwan – the highest honor in Hinduism. In his talk during the Kumbh Mela in 2015 at Nasik Mahant Sri Narendra Giri Ji said:
“One week before India news, IBN7 and other news channels came to me and asked about Swamiji. I said to them that Swamiji is the backbone of Sanatan Hindu Dharma. We went to Swamiji’s room now and they brought two children there. Their eyes were blindfolded and when I gave them my Visiting Card and mobile they were clearly able to read everything.
I was initially surprised but later Swamiji explained that when Mahabharata was fought, Sanjaya was sitting at a remote location and was able to see everything happening on the war field. Same way even we can see things which are far off. Swamiji has entered the inner space of these kids through the power of his penance and awakened their third eye. Our scriptures say that Bhagwan Shankar had a third eye, all this is not fraud. When a person has the power of penance then he can do anything. So I believe that Swamiji has such a power of penance through which he can teach anyone this science. Even I will be sending 11 of my students, who will learn from Swamiji. I welcome such great Swami and congratulate him for this breakthrough.
Today, after seeing the sadhna, tenacity and strength of respected Nithyananda Swamiji, I truly felt that I have arrived at the Ashram of some divine being.
I am the head of 13 akhadas, but today I am so happy to be with such a great Saint – Paramahamsa Nithyananda! When the media came and asked me, I said, “Swamiji is the backbone of Hinduism!” The media people asked me, “You have made such a huge statement! How are you able to say that Paramahamsa Nithyananda is the backbone of Hinduism?” I said, Paramahamsa Nithyananda Swami has not only done the work of Hinduism here, but he has taken the respect and honor of Hinduism all over the world. A human being cannot go forward or achieve big things in his life without tests and without hard work. Swamiji was put under so many attacks, but still he is untouched and is established in enlightenment. One day Paramahamsa Nithyananda is going to be the Guru for the whole world!
~ Sri Narendra Giri Maharaj
Many leaders of multiple Akhadas have openly acknowledged and extolled the divinity and matchless contribution of His Divine Holiness Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam.
In the Kumbh Mela at Triambakeshwar near Nasik, Sri Ravindrapuri Maharaj, Sri Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani, was pleasantly surprised at the expression of divinity of His Divine Holiness expressing as the amazing manifestation of spiritual powers by the students of his traditional school Nithyananda Gurukul.
Vaicharik Mahasabha, the think tank discussion at the Kumbh Mela in Ujjain in 2016:
His Divine Holiness also substantiated the confidence reposed in him as the leader of Hinduism as expressed succinctly in his address at the Vaicharik Mahasabha, the think tank discussion at the Kumbh Mela in Ujjain in 2016 sharing his vision for Hinduism:
“I offer my humble respects to all the saints on the stage and prominent people, Honourable chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and i offer my humble respects to all of you for being here. As i understood the program is about connecting various thought currents. Kumbh Mela is all about connecting various thought currents, sharing various thought currents. So the 3 minutes time I’ll try to present only one thought current on which our whole sangha is working. Trying to bring spiritual legitimacy to Sanatana Hindu Dharma by working in these 3 lines. First line we are working is developing the right inner-image for the hindus all over the world. Only by making the yogic sciences, vedic sciences as an experience drinking the divine nectar of Upanishads, living the Agamas, seeing the experience and powers manifesting in our lives we will build the right inner image. This is the time we put in lot of effort, energy, intelligence to do research on making our yogic vedic sciences more as a reality than just a theory. Only by making them as a reality in personal life we will build the right inner image. Otherwise the strength of co-existence should not be seen as our weakness. I am seeing internationally at many places when we are trying to stretch our hand when we are trying to build friendliness, we are misconstrued as weak. Only if we drink the nectar of Upanishads and strengthen our life by powers of yogic tradition we are going to build the right inner image and right outer image (the way we present ourselves to the world). All over the world there is great Hindu-phobia. Working to remove the Hindu-phobia, making people understand the concepts truths, lifestyle, without diluting them, without diluting them, trying to make people understand and we need to put lot of effort as sadhus, sants, organizations, Hindu organizations, we need to put lot of effort on presenting responsibility for others’ image (what others perceive about us). Hindu-phobia can be removed only by creating a proper Hinduism-lite, the theology-lite by putting the yoga, kirtan, all these easily digestible truths in the front. Maybe it is time all of us share notes, share thought currents, to build the right inner-image, the way we hold ourselves, the right outer image (the way we present ourselves to the world) and taking responsibility for the way humanity holds us or expects from us, that is the best way we will contribute. This is the thought current in the line which our whole sangha is working This is the only thought current i wanted to present in these 3 minutes. Thank you for being here and listening.”
~ His Divine Holiness Nithyananda Paramashivam