The shahi (amrit) snan at the Mahakumbh is not a random affair. There is a predesignated order which the 13 akharas follow to take the holy dip.
This bathing order is something that the akharas had decided by mutual consent many Kumbhs ago, when India was still under British rule. This eliminates any kind of chaos and also gives the saints of each akhara ample time to bathe.
This time, the UP government issued a detailed schedule on when members of an akhara were to reach the bathing site, when they would take the dip, when they would leave the ghat and also when they would re-enter their camps.
Approximately two and a half hours were given to each akhara.
Thus, the Mahanirvani Akhara and the Atal Akhara, which were listed first on the schedule were to leave their camps at 5.15 am and arrive at the ghat at 6.15 am. They were given 40 minutes to bathe and had to leave the ghat by 6.55 am. Their arrival at their camps was listed at 7.55 am.
The order to be followed after this was the Niranjani and Anand Akhara; the Juna, Ahvahan and Pancha agni akharas.
All the above akharas belong to the Sanyasi tradition.
These were followed by the Nirmohi Ani, Digambar Ani and Panch nirvani akharas which follow the Bairagi traditions.
Then came the akharas which follow the Udasin tradition- the Naya udasin, the Panchayati akhara, Bada udasin and the Panchayati Nirmal akhara.
The akharas of the Sanyasi tradition are followers of Shiv, while the Bairagis follow the Vaishnite traditions. Those of the Udasin tradition follow the teachings of Sikhism.
Among these akharas, it is the Naga sadhus who first enter the Sangam. This is a recognition of their extreme asceticism, and of their original role as the martial defenders of Sanatan.
The order of bathing is not the same in all cities where the Kumbh is held. In Haridwar for instance it is the Niranjani akhara which bathes first. In Ujjain and Nasik it is the Juna akhara which leads the others.
