No Chief Priest for Ayodhya's Ram Temple Following Acharya Satyendra Das's Passing, Champat Rai Confirms
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Synopsis
On March 17, Champat Rai of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra announced that there will be no chief priest for Ayodhya's Ram temple after the death of Acharya Satyendra Das. Das, who served since 1993, was unmatched in age and knowledge, making it difficult to appoint a successor.
Key Takeaways
- Ayodhya will not appoint a new chief priest.
- Acharya Satyendra Das passed away on February 12.
- No successor can match his expertise and experience.
- Das served the temple since 1993.
- His contributions to Hinduism were significant.
Ayodhya, March 17 (NationPress) The General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Champat Rai, has announced that the Ram temple in Ayodhya will no longer have a chief priest.
Rai's statement came on Sunday when he was asked about the selection of a new Chief Priest following the passing of Acharya Satyendra Das.
He emphasized that there will be no Chief Priest appointed as there is currently no individual who matches Das's age and stature, stating that no one possesses the same level of knowledge.
"We consulted Acharya Satyendra Das six months prior; there will not be a chief priest henceforth. There is no one who holds the same age and respect as Satyendra Das; no one else has served as Hanumangarhi's Mahant for as long," Rai explained on Sunday.
Acharya Satyendra Das had dedicated himself to the temple since 1993 and received a nominal salary of Rs 100 per month. As he noted, all current candidates are younger and inexperienced; none can match his expertise. Referring to anyone else as the Chief Priest would be an overstatement, Rai remarked.
Das was a notable Hindu mahant and served as the chief priest of the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi Temple even prior to the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.
He was among the initial Hindu priests to publicly denounce a petition aimed at banning the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh.
Acharya Satyendra Das was regarded as one of the most approachable seers in Ayodhya, frequently sought after by reporters for insights regarding Ayodhya and the ongoing developments concerning the Ram temple.
He passed away on February 12 of this year at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in Lucknow at the age of 83. He had been hospitalized on February 3 after suffering a brain stroke.
The hospital reported, "Satyendra Das ji, chief priest of Ram Mandir Ayodhya, passed away today. He was admitted to the High Dependency Unit of the Neurology ward on February 3 due to a critical stroke."
