Who was Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of Ayodhya's Ram Temple?

The chief priest of Ayodhya's Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple Acharya Satyendra Das passed away aged 85 years at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Lucknow on Wednesday.

He was admitted to SGPGI on February 3 and was in the Neurology ward HDU after he suffered a brain stroke. The priest was also suffering from diabetes and hypertension.

"Satendra Das ji, chief Priest of Ram Mandir Ayodhya , breathed his last today. He was admitted in HDU (High Dependency Unit) of Neurology ward on February 3 with stroke in critical condition," the hospital said.

Who was Acharya Satyendra Das?

The 85-year-old Acharya Satyendra Das was a Hindu mahant and the chief priest of the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. He had been the chief priest of the Ram temple since before the Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, 1992.

Archarya Das was a member of the Nirvani Akhara and dedicated his life to spiritual service from the age of 20. He was reportedly one of the most accessible seers of Ayodhya and was often sought by media persons for insights on Ayodhya and developments related to the Ram temple.

Das was among the first Hindu priests to condemn the petition seeking to ban the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh.