The most sacred Akshayvat (indestructible Holy fig tree) at Prayagraj is a form of the trinity of Deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

The first mention of Akshayvat is in the Valmiki Ramayan. In the Puran it is referred to as ‘the roof of the king of places of pilgrimage, Prayag’. The Akshayvat is considered as the form of the three Deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Given further is information on the Akshayvat which fulfils desires of devotees and endows Final Liberation (Moksha) to seekers by its mere darshan (vision).

Compiler : Mr. Sachin Kaulkar, Prayagraj

1. Shrirama, Sita and Lakshman had taken darshan of Akshayvat

The Puran (eighteen sacred Holy texts compiled by Sage Vyas states that when Bhagwan Shrirama came to Prayag when in exile, to Sage Bharadwaj the Sage narrated the greatness of the Akshayvat standing on the banks of River Yamuna after which Shrirama, Sita and Lakshman took darshan of the tree. Deity Sita worshipped the tree and received blessings from it.

2. When there is a deluge on the earth only the Akshayvat will survive

The Purans state that Saint Markendeya insisted that Bhagwan Narayan display His Diivne strength before him. At that time for a moment Bhagwan Narayan flooded the earth. Everything except the upper portion of the Akshayvat was washed away in the deluge.

3. When the Supreme Father, Deity Brahma
performed a yadnya at Prayag the Akshayvat was existing

The Akshayvat sprouts and blossoms on its own. Its unique feature is that nothing has to be done for this to occur. From the viewpoint of performing a yadnya Prayag is a sacred place. It is said that when Nature was being created by the Supreme Father, Deity Brahma He first performed a yadnya at Prayag. The Akshayvat existed then as well. Akshayvat at Prayag, Vanshivat at Mathura-Vrundavan, Gayavat at Gaya also known as Boudhavat and Siddhavat at Ujjain are the sacred Holy fig trees existing for several years and are seats of faith, surrender and devotion.

4. If you circumambulate the Akshayvat
4 times then a seeker can attain Final Liberation

Since times immemorial the Akshayvat represents sacrifice, penance, devotion and trust. Penance performed beneath the Akshayvat. Also if darshan is taken with faith and spiritual emotion then wishes of devotees are fulfilled is what is believed. The Bhagwat Puran states that Bhagwn Vishnu sleeps in the form of a child in the Akshayvat which is considered not just the clock of Prayag but that of the entire earth. If the Akshayvat is circumambulated at least four times and offered flowers and akshata (rice grains consecrated with vermilion) then the seeker attains Final Liberation.

5. Despite the Mughals setting the
Akshayvat on fire 23 times it was not destroyed

Mughals made several attempts to wipe out the existence of the Akshayvat. They chopped and burnt it 23 times yet did not succeed in uprooting it totally as it kept sprouting again. In 1574 Akbar began constructing a fort for himself on the banks of River Yamuna. It took 42 years to complete. This fort was constructed only to prevent getting darshan of Akshayvat. After the fort was completed they stopped people from taking its darshan and worshipping it. After the Mughals the British gained control over the fort and established its camp there. Darshan of the Akshayvat was prohibited once again.

6. Idols of 43 Deiites along with Saraswati kup

Saraswati kup like the Akshayvat has a special place in this fort. It is considered the most sacred well on the face of this earth. Saraswati Devi is believed to exist in an invisible form at the confluence and to reside in this well. The story of the Saraswati kup is given in the MatsyaPuran. Just as Ganga arises from Gangotri and Yamuna from Yamunotri, Saraswati arises from the well on the banks of River Yamiuna. Desires are said to be fulfilled after getting Her darshan.  Besides the Akshayvat the fort has idols of 43 deities within the Patalpuri temple  – Dharmaraj, Annapurna, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shri Ganesh Gauri, Shankar Mahadev, Sage Durvas, Maharshi Valmiki, Prayagraj, Vaidyanath, Kartikswami, Sati Anusuya, Deity Varun, Danda, Mahadev, Kalbhairav, Lalita Devi, Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati Devi, Bhagwan Narsinha, Suryanarayan, Jamvan, Guru Dattatreya, Banganaga, Satyanarayan, Shanidev, Sage Markandeya, Gupta Dan, Shul Tankeshwar Mahadev, Parvati Devi, Veni Madhav, Kuber Bhandari, Arasnath-Parasnath, Sankatmochan Hanuman, Suryadev etc.

7. Due to insensitivity of the coalition
government darshan of the Akshayvat is still banned

Darshan of the Akshayvat during the regime of Mughals and British had stopped for 450 years. After the British rule ceased devotees expected the Congress Government which had assumed power then to restart darshan of this tree. But in reality till date the Congress and Samajwadi governments in Uttar Pradesh led by former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav did not make efforts to restart this. Hence even after the Britishers left the country this remains undone due to lack of initiative of the Government. Devotees said that this has not been done by the Congress and Samajwadi parties simply to please Muslims.

8. The Akshayvat is a tree which Bharat should be proud of worldwide

If any ancient object or place is discovered in U.S.A. or any other country then a proclamation of its greatness is made in the whole world. But despite the greatness of the Akshayvat about which we have to be proud in the whole world the Congress Government ruling at that time did not throw it open for darshan of devotees.We applaud the present Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adinath  and his Bharatiya Janata Party Government for doing it. Had the then coalition Government done this then it would have gained recognition worldwide increasing the pride of Bharat. What is noteworthy is that this secular, anti-Hindu government did not realise.

Source : Dainik Sanatan Prabhat