Mahant

For other uses, see Mahant (disambiguation).

Mahant (/məˈhʌnt/) is a religious superior, in particular the chief of a temple or the head of a monastery in Indian religions.[1]

James Mallinson, one of the few westerners to be named as a mahant,[2] describes the position of a mahant as a combination of an abbot and a brigadier.[3]

  1. ^ New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd ed., 2005), p. 1020.
  2. ^ "The making of a mahant: a journey through the Kumbh Mela festival". Financial Times. 8 March 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  3. ^ Roughton, Nicole. ""Attending the Kumbh Mela at Nasik: some reflections from a SOAS mahant" by James Mallinson – South Asia Notes". Archived from the original on 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2021-09-16.