Ram Mandir’s chief priest Satyendra Das passed away, breathed his last at Lucknow PGI at the age of 85

Lucknow: Ram Mandir’s chief priest Satyendra Das has passed away. He breathed his last at Lucknow PGI at the age of 85. Acharya Satyendra Das was admitted to HDU of Neurology Ward of Lucknow PGI in critical condition after brain hemorrhage on 3 February. There is a wave of mourning in the monastery temples of Ayodhya on the death of Acharya Satyendra Das.

Acharya Satyendra Das’s disciple Pradeep Das said that he died at around 8 am in Lucknow’s PGI after a long illness. His body is being brought from PGI to Ayodhya. His disciples have left with his body to Ayodhya. The last rites will be performed tomorrow (13 February) on the banks of Saryu river in Ayodhya. Recently, PGI had issued a health bulletin stating that Satyendra Das has serious diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.

Satyendra Das spent about 33 years in the service of Ram Mandir. In February 1992, when the responsibility of Ram Janmabhoomi was handed over to the district administration due to ‘disputed land’, there were discussions about removing the old priest Mahant Laldas. Meanwhile, on 1 March 1992, Satyendra Das was appointed with the consent of BJP MP Vinay Katiyar, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader and then VHP chief Ashok Singhal.

When he was appointed in Ram Mandir in 1992, he used to get 100 rupees every month as salary. Till the year 2018, Satyendra Das’s salary was only 12 thousand rupees per month. In 2019, after the instructions of the Ayodhya Commissioner, his salary was increased to 13 thousand. Satyendra Das had told during an interview that he had obtained the degree of Acharya from Sanskrit Vidyalaya in 1975. After this, in 1976, he got the job of Assistant Teacher in the Grammar Department in Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Ayodhya.