Ayodhya’s Ram Temple chief priest, Mahant Satyendra Das, passed away on Wednesday (February 12, 2025) at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow. He was 85.
The priest had been admitted to the hospital’s High Dependency Unit (HDU) in the neurology ward on February 3 after suffering a brain stroke.
“Satendra Das ji, chief priest of Ram Mandir Ayodhya, breathed his last today. He was admitted in HDU of neurology ward on February 3 with stroke in critical condition,” the hospital said in a statement.
Mahant Satyendra Das had served as the head priest of the temple since the age of 20, witnessing key moments in Ayodhya’s history, including the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. Despite the turmoil, he continued performing prayers for the Ram Lalla idol under a makeshift tent until the temple’s recent inauguration.
A revered figure in Ayodhya, Das hailed from the Nirvani Akhara and was known for his accessibility, often speaking to journalists about the temple’s developments.
Vishva Hindu Parishad’s Ayodhya-based spokesman, Sharad Sharma, expressed condolences, stating, “He was a widely respected figure and among those who knew the history of the Ayodhya movement by heart. We condole his death.”
Devotees gathered in large numbers at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple to pay their respects to the late priest.
