Patna, Sept. 8: A pilgrim spot in Bihar is trying to upgrade itself into Hinduism’s big league by re-branding itself as a Kumbh site, the controversy spawning a high court case and a snub from chief minister Nitish Kumar to a BJP colleague.

The Kumbh, one of Hinduism’s holiest occasions, is now held only at Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. The campaign to hold it also at Simaria Ghat, located on the Ganga’s banks in north Bihar’s Begusarai district, about 100km from here, has many supporters.

Among them are a sadhu who held a weeklong fast to press the demand, businessmen eyeing big bucks from an increased pilgrim influx, and a BJP keen to please its local Hindu vote bank.

It has one big opponent: the All India Akhara Council, which is the traditional authority on matters relating to the Kumbh. Council general secretary Hari Giri arrived here yesterday and moved a writ at Patna High Court, pleading that holding the Kumbh at Simaria would go “against the tenets of the religion”.

As for the chief minister, he believes the state must not get involved in religious issues, government sources said.

They said Nitish had admonished his health minister, Ashwini Kumar Choubey of the BJP, for rushing to Simaria Ghat to persuade Swami Chidatmanji to break his fast and promising the site would be turned into a Kumbh venue.

Choubey and his supporters are said to be “peeved” that Nitish had “turned cold” to the proposal which, they say, could turn the region into a top religious destination.

According to the scriptures, the Kumbh can be held only at places where the drops of amrit (nectar of immortality), procured through samudra manthan (great churning of the sea), fell. The scriptures name just four such places — the existing Kumbh sites.

Simaria Ghat has for centuries been a venue for the Kalpvas ritual — a month-long stay on the Ganga’s banks — during the month of Kartik.

Sources said the state government had initially considered supporting the popular demand but stepped back after the Akhara council, a body of 26 spiritual leaders from 13 Hindu sects, rejected it.

Nitish then wrote to the Begusarai district magistrate that “the decision to hold the Kumbh at a particular place is an issue for religious bodies. The government should not be a party to holding any religious ritual.”

The chief minister, however, clarified that the government would increase the security and other facilities if the Kalpvas drew more devotees to Simaria Ghat this year.

An entrepreneur from Begusarai argued that holding the Kumbh can boost the state’s economy.

“You see lakhs of people assemble at Ujjain, Haridwar, Prayag and Nashik during the Kumbh. The faithful believe that a dip in the Ganga on the occasion emancipates mortal beings from all sins and bondages,” he said.

“The large assembly of people alone would add to the economy and overall religious importance of the state. The government must try to have the Kumbh at Simaria.”

But Kishore Kunal, chairperson of the state religious trust board, supported the Akhara council’s stand. “You cannot hold a religious function without scriptural sanction. There are authorised religious forums to decide these issues,” he said.