Mahant Avaidyanath

Mahant Avaidyanath
Member of Parliament
Succeeded by Yogi Adityanath
Constituency Gorakhpur
Member of Legislative Assembly
Constituency Maniram
Personal details
Born Kripal Singh Bisht
(1921-05-28)28 May 1921
Kandi, Pauri Garhwal district, Uttar Pradesh (now in Uttarakhand)
Died 12 September 2014(2014-09-12) (aged 93)
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
Nationality Indian
Political party Bharatiya Janata Party
Occupation Politician

Mahant Avaidyanath (born Kripal Singh Bisht, 28 May 1921 – 12 September 2014) was a Hindu preacher and politician. He was the Mahant (chief priest) of Gorakhnath Temple, succeeding his guru Digvijay Nath. He was also a politician of the Hindu Mahasabha and, later Bharatiya Janata Party, being elected to the Lok Sabha from Gorakhpur four times. He played an important role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. He was the mentor and guru of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.[1][2]

Career

Religious

Avaidyanath succeeded Mahant Digvijay Nath as the head of Gorakhnath Math and was succeeded by Yogi Adityanath (Ajay Mohan Bisht).[3]

Political

Avaidyanathan was elected MLA from Maniram Assembly segment five times – 1962, 1967, 1968 1974 and 1977. He was elected Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur as an Independent candidate in 1970 and won again in 1989 as candidate of Hindu Mahasabha. He was elected MP from the same seat in 1991 and 1996 as Bharatiya Janata Party nominee.[4]

Religio-political

Mahant Avaidyanath was a leader of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, founding the Sri Ramjanmabhoomi Mukti Yagna Samiti (Committee of sacrifice to liberate Ram's birthplace) in 1984. In September of that year, the Samiti launched a "religious procession with Hindu nationalist slogans" from Sitamarhi in Bihar to Ayodhya, with the mission of 'liberating' the Ram temple. Avaidyanath gave sermons exhorting the listeners to give votes only to those parties that promised to liberate the Hindu sacred places. [5]

Death

He died on 12 September 2014 in Gorakhpur.[6][7][8][9][10][3] Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi said he was "Saddened over the demise of Mahant Avaidyanath ji. He will be remembered for his patriotic zeal and determined efforts to serve society."

Home Minister Rajnath Singh and UP BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai also sent condolences on his death.[11]

Commemoration

A stamp is being released to mark the first death anniversary of Avaidyanath, who was also spiritual father and guru of sitting BJP MP from Gorakhpur and current UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He died on 12 September 2014 at the age of 93.

References

  1. ↑ As Yogi Adityanath's Village Celebrates His Rise, Advice From His Father, NDTV News, 20 March 2017.
  2. ↑ TOI
  3. 1 2 "This Muslim volunteer shares a special bond with Yogi Adityanath", Hindustan Times, 20 March 2017
  4. ↑ "Ram Temple movement leader Avaidyanath passes away". Indian Express. 13 Sep 2014.
  5. ↑ Jaffrelot, Christophe (1996), The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, pp. 362–364, ISBN 978-1850653011
  6. ↑ "Mahant Avaidyanath passes away". Zee News. 13 Sep 2014.
  7. ↑ "गोरक्षापीठाधीश्वर महंत अवेद्यनाथ का निधन". Jagran (in Hindi). 12 Sep 2014.
  8. ↑ "श्रीरामजन्मभूमि आंदोलन के नेता महंत अवेद्यनाथ ब्रह्मलीन". Live Hindustan (in Hindi). 12 Sep 2014.
  9. ↑ "काशी के संतों ने कहा, समाज के लिए गौरव थे अवेद्यनाथ". Live Hindustan (in Hindi). 12 Sep 2014.
  10. ↑ "पूर्व भाजपा सांसद व गोरक्षापीठाधीश्‍वर महंत अवेद्यनाथ का निधन". Prabhakar Khabar (in Hindi). 12 Sep 2014.
  11. ↑ "Former MP Mahant Avaidyanath passes away". Zee News. 13 Sep 2014.
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