Ram Temple Head Priest Das Dies In Lucknow

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- Abraham Thomas

LUCKNOW/AYODHYA: Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, died in Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. He was 87.

Das was admitted in the neurology ward of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences on February 3 after he suffered a brain stroke, the hospital said in a statement. "Satyendra Das ji, chief Priest of Ram Mandir Ayodhya, breathed his last today. He was admitted in High Dependency Unit of neurology ward on February 3 with stroke in critical condition," the statement said.

Das served as the priest of the makeshift Ram Lalla temple, formed after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. He was later named as the chief priest of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya after it was consecrated on January 22, 2024. His last rites will be performed at the Saryu Ghat in Ayodhya on February 13, said Pujari Pradip Das of Ram Temple, his successor.