Former Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur Mahant Avaidyanath, who had been in the forefront of the movement concerning the formation of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, was born on May 28, 1921 with the name Kripal Singh Bisht. This day in 2023 marks the birth anniversary of the BJP leader & Hindu preacher.
About Mahant Avaidyanath
Mahant Avaidyanath is remembered as one of the Hindu gurus who preached for Indian culture and Sanatan Dharam. The spiritual leader became the Mahant (chief priest) of Gorakhnath Temple, succeeding his guru Digvijay Nath in the 19 century.
With the establishment of the Sri Ramjanmabhoomi Mukti Yagna Samiti (Committee of Sacrifice to Liberate Ram's Birthplace) in 1984, Avaidyanath became a prominent figure in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
The Samiti launched a religious procession from Sitamarhi in Bihar to Ayodhya in September 1984 which saw Hindu slogans and chant echo in public. Avaidyanath delivered speeches and urged people to support only political candidates who pledged to liberate the Hindu sacred places. His strong remarks were made in the view of Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid case.
Apart from his spiritual and religious works, he also entered Indian politics and coined his name there. He won the elections and became a Lok Sabha member as an Independent candidate in 1970, but the Indira Gandhi wave a year later made him lose General elections in 1971.
Later in the years, in the 90s, he was the Bharatiya Janata Party's nominee for MP. He then retired from politics and saw his alleged protégé Yogi Adityanath's victory in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections.
A lesser-known fact about Mahant Avaidyanath claims that he was the spiritual father of the current UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It was noted that in the memory of the guru, the CM released a stamp of the spiritual leader to mark his first death anniversary in 2015. He breathed last on September 12, 2014.
