Who Was Mahant Satyendra Das? Ayodhya Priest Who Saw It All — From Babri Demolition To Ram Temple Inauguration
While growing up, Mahant Satyendra Das frequently accompanied his father on visits to Ayodhya. The temple city’s spiritual atmosphere greatly influenced his decision to become a priest.
Satyendra Das Death: Mahant Satyendra Das, the head priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, passed away at the age of 85. He was critical after suffering a brain stroke and was admitted to a hospital in Lucknow.
Das was the priest of the makeshift Ram temple on December 6, 1992, when the Babri Mosque was demolished. He was also the longest-serving head priest of the Ram Temple.
Mahant Satyendra Das' Early Life
Das was born in Sant Kabirnagar in 1940. While growing up, Das frequently accompanied his father on visits to Ayodhya. The temple city’s spiritual atmosphere greatly influenced his decision to become a priest, as per Stars Unfolded website.
In 1975, Satyendra Das graduated from Sanskrit Vidyalaya, earning the title of Acharya and the following year, he began working as an Assistant Teacher in the Grammar Department of Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Ayodhya.
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During this period, he continued visiting Ayodhya, engaging in activities like katha, puja, and assisting with Kalash installation at the temple during Navratri.
Das Appointed Chief Priest Of Ram Temple
Later, the district administration appointed Das as the chief priest of Ram Janmabhoomi on 1 March 1992. In an interview, Satyendra Das recounted his presence during the Babri Masjid demolition. He said at 11 AM, he moved the idol of Ramlala to a safe location.
During the inauguration of the grand Ram Temple built on 2.7 acres of land in Ayodhya, Das gained attention for his disapproval of the circulation of old pre-installation photos of Ram Lalla's idol, which revealed its face, on social media.
The 51-inch idol in black stone was sourced from Karnataka. Das called for an investigation into the matter, emphasising that "the eyes of Lord Ram’s idol cannot be revealed before the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony is complete."
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