Pakistan's Karachi Hanuman Temple priest brings ashes of 400 Hindus and Sikhs to Mahakumbh for immersion, praises Yogi

The Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj has drawn devotees from across the world, including Pakistan. Among them is Ramnath Mishra, the head priest of the Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple and crematorium in Karachi. He has brought the ashes of 400 Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan to immerse them in Haridwar.

Mission to perform last rites

Mishra, who belongs to the only Mishra family in Karachi, is staying at Sector 24 in the Maha Kumbh area with his family. He performed the sacred thread ceremony of his nine-year-old son at the camp of Swami Adhokshajanand. He plans to take the holy water of Sangam to Delhi, where the urns containing the ashes will be worshipped at Nigam Bodh Ghat on February 21.

After sprinkling Sangam water on the ashes, a chariot procession will be taken out from Delhi to Haridwar. The ashes will then be immersed in a stream of 100 litres of milk at Sati Ghat in Haridwar on February 22, he said.

Efforts to preserve religious sites in Karachi

Mishra, accompanied by his mother Kamala Devi, wife, son Devendranath Mishra, two daughters, and a nephew, met Swami Adhokshajanand Devtirth. He recalled that the Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple in Karachi was once captured and was vacated after great efforts. The crematorium there has also been renovated and can now accommodate 15 cremations at a time.

A designated space for storing ashes has been built at the crematorium, and urns have been collected over the past nine years. "When my visa for India was approved, I collected all the ashes to perform the oblation," Mishra said. His family has been serving the Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple for 1,500 years.

Ancestral ties and appeal for relaxed visa rules

Mishra, who belongs to the Nath sect, said he is a strong admirer of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He mentioned that his visa was initially restricted to Lucknow, but after expressing his desire to visit other holy cities, he was granted permission to travel to Prayagraj, Kashi, Mathura, and Ayodhya.

Mishra urged the Indian government to ease visa rules for Pakistani Hindus. "If the government is ready to give protection to the Hindus of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, then why should there be any hitch in giving visas to Hindus living in these countries," he said.