LUCKNOW, Feb 12: Mahant Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, died at a hospital here on Wednesday.
The 85-year-old was admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) earlier this month after he suffered a brain stroke.
“Satendra Das ji, chief Priest of Ram Mandir Ayodhya, breathed his last today. He was admitted in HDU (High Dependency Unit) of neurology ward on February 3 with stroke in critical condition,” the hospital said.
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The mortal remains of Das were later taken to his residence in Ayodhya.
His successor Pradeep Das, told PTI, “We are waiting for all his disciples to arrive. It is expected that he will be given a ‘water burial’ on Thursday afternoon”.
Condoling the demise of Das, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his entire life was dedicated to the service of Lord Ram.
Modi lauded his scholarship in religious texts and rituals, and said Das’s invaluable contribution to the country’s spiritual and social life will always be remembered
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the death of Das as an irreparable loss to the spiritual world.
“The demise of great Ram bhakt and chief priest of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Shri Ayodhya Dham Acharya Shri Satyendra Kumar Das Ji Maharaj, is extremely sad and an irreparable loss to the spiritual world. Humble tributes! I pray to Lord Shri Ram to give a place to the departed soul in his feet and give strength to the bereaved disciples and followers to bear this immense loss.”
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said he “prays to God to give courage to his followers to bear the huge loss.”
Das, who took ‘sanyas’ at the age of 20, was serving as priest during the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. Later when the government took control of the premises, he was made chief priest of the makeshift temple.
While talking to PTI in 2022, Das had said he joined as the priest of the makeshift Ram Lalla temple in 1992, the year the Babri mosque was demolished.
When asked if he was present when the mosque was demolished, Das had said, “I was there. It happened before me. I was witness to it. Out of three domes, north and south domes were demolished by ‘kar sewaks’. I took Ram Lalla with its throne in my hand.
“The demolition was over by 5 pm. Later, ‘kar sewaks’ pitched a tent and levelled the place and by 7 pm, I kept Ram Lalla there,” he had said.
While paying tributes to Das, Ram Temple Trust president Champat Rai recalled that Das took only Rs 100 as remuneration when he was made the chief priest.
Hailing from the Nirvani Akhara, Das was among the most accessible saints of Ayodhya and the go-to person for many media persons from across the country wanting information on Ayodhya and Ram temple developments.
Vishva Hindu Parishad’s Ayodhya-based spokesman Sharad Sharma condoled the demise of Das.
“He was a widely respected figure and among those who knew the history of the Ayodhya movement by heart. We condole his death,” he told (PTI).
