Mahakumbh 2025: Kinnar Akhara Founder Expels Mamta Kulkarni, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi

The founder of Kinnar Akhara🦹 Rishi Ajay Das on Friday expelled famous actor Mamta Kulkarni from the much-talked-about Hindu religious order amid the Mahakumbh 2025. Besides her, Mahamandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi also got expelled for inducting Kulkarni.

ꩵFor the past few days, the Kinnar Akhara has been at the centre of a controversy concerning the appointment of former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni as Mahamandaleshwar.

🌌According to a report by News18, Das was embroiled in a difference of opinion with Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, warning that they would remove Tripathi from the post.

꧂Tripathi reportedly has also been accused of treason for appointing Kulkari as Mahamandaleshwar without the founder's knowledge. Kulkarni, on the other hand, has been accused of treason due to the ongoing controversies surrounding the actor such as the Rs 2000 crore drug case alongside her partner Vicky Goswami.

🍬However, in August 2024, the Bombay High Court dismissed the criminal charges against her, citing insufficient evidence. Kulkarni was also accused of having links to the Mumbai underworld.

༺Speaking to News18, Tripathi has challenged the expulsion and added that Rishi Ajay Das had been expelled from the akahara. "Das lives with his family and children. Such a lifestyle is incompatible with the principles of Kinnar Akhara, so he no longer has a place in the order,” Tripathi declared.

About Kinnar Akhara

In Hindu religion, an 'akhara' is defined as a religious order. The Kinnar Akhara is a monastic order of transgender sadhus which was formed in 2018. It functions under the Juna Akhara.

The coveted title of Mahamandaleshwar which means the ‘chief of great or numerous monasteries’, 🐎is granted to Hindu monks of the Dashanami order. The revered title is traditionally given to spiritual leaders who play a vital role in religious discourse and social upliftment.

Mamta Kulkarni Inducted To Kinnar Akhara

Renouncing the worldly life, Mamta Kulkarni associated herself with the Juna Akhara for the past two years. However, it was after the Mahakumbh 2025 began in Prayagraj, that Kulkarni took 'sanyas' by performing her own 'pind daan'⛦ and was appointed as the 'Mahamandaleshwar' of the Kinnar Akhara.

🦂She was also given the spiritual name Yamai Mamta Nandgiri.Kulkarni's induction and instant promotion raised many eyebrows.

Mamta Kulkarni had a prominent career in Bollywood primarily in the 1990s when she starred in several Hindi films including Karan Arjun (1995), Baazi (1995), and China Gate𓆉 (1998). She was considered one of the leading actresses of that era and gained popularity for both her acting and her glamorous image.