Acharya Satyendra Das, the revered chief priest of Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, passed away on Wednesday at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in Lucknow. He was 83 years old.
Acharya Satyendra Das was a prominent Hindu mahant who had dedicated his life to spiritual service from the age of 20, giving 3 decades of his life to the worship of Lord Ram and looking after the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.
He was a member of the Nirvani Akhara and had been the chief priest of the Ram temple since before the Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, 1992.
In fact, he was the one who shifted the idols to the nearby Fakire Mandir before the demolition and later placed them in the makeshift temple at Ram Janmbhoomi.
After the consecration ceremony of the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Acharya Satyendra Das continued to serve as the chief priest.
He was widely respected for his spiritual guidance and was often sought by media persons for insights on Ayodhya and developments related to the Ram temple. Acharya Satyendra Das was admitted to the hospital earlier this month after suffering a brain stroke.
Despite receiving treatment, his condition deteriorated, and he breathed his last on Wednesday. His passing has been mourned by many, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who visited him at the hospital and expressed his condolences
