Mahant Nritya Gopal Das is the head of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust and Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, two bodies set up to oversee the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He is also the head of the largest temple in Ayodhya, Sri Maniram Das Ki Chavani. He played an important role in the movement for the construction of the Ram temple and was one of the accused in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.
Wiki/Biography
Nritya Gopal Das was born on Saturday, June 11, 1938 (82 years old in 2020) in the village of Kerhala/Kahola in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, western India. In 1953, he entered Lala Ram College in Mathura to study commerce. However, dissatisfied with the conventional education offered by the college, he dropped out and went to live in Ayodhya. In Ayodhya, he became a disciple of Mahant Ram Manohar Das, who inducted him into Diksha Sanskar’ (the mantras or initiations given by the guru to his disciples) and also encouraged him to learn Sanskrit. As a result, he graduated from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi with a Bachelor of Arts (Shastri) degree. In 1965, at the age of 27, he was ordained as a mahant (religious superior) in Ayodhya with great pomp and ceremony.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 7″
Hair color: White
Eye color: Black
Family and caste
He was born into a Brahmin family.
Parents and siblings
His father is Ganga Ram and his mother is Ram Devi.
Mahant Nitya Gopal Das’s parents
Relationships and children
Nritya Gopal Das is not married yet.
dispute
- He was one of the accused in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case. On September 30, 2020, a special CBI court in Lucknow acquitted him and 31 other accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, including BJP veterans LK Advani and MM Joshi. While delivering the verdict, the judge said there was no solid evidence of their involvement in the conspiracy. Moreover, the court said that the demolition of the Babri Masjid building was not planned in advance.
In the picture: Ram Mandir Trust chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das appears before the CBI court in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case
- Dibyesh Anand, a British-Indian professor, in his book, Hindu Nationalism and the Politics of Fear in India, recounts his personal interview with Mahant Das in 2005 and explains Mahant Das’s derogatory remarks. Here are some excerpts from the book:
An interesting incident occurred during my private meeting with Nritya Gopal Das, leader of the Ramayana Temple movement (personal interview 2005e). My first and last name do not reveal the caste into which I was born. Das assumed that I was a non-resident Hindu (a category often seen as a constituency for Hindu nationalism), and he began to tell a rehearsed story about how Hindus and Muslims were brothers and that India would be harmonious if only Muslims would give up certain mosques. On the advice of a friendly sadhu, I stressed that I came from a Brahmin family, and Nritya Gopal Das’ tone changed. He became more friendly and open, and lamented that it was not only Muslims but also “neechi jaati ke log” (people of lower castes) who were the cause of all problems. The mere mention of ‘Brahmin’ identity opened up many avenues for discussion with more than half a dozen senior sadhus working directly with the World Hindu Congress.
Facts/Trivia
- In 2003, he took over as the president of Ram Janmabhumi Nias after the death of the previous president, Mahant Ram Manohar Das.
- He also succeeded Shri Mani Ram Das Maharaj as the sixth chief of ‘Shri Mani Ram Das Chavni’, which is widely known as ‘Chhoti Chavani.’ Spread over 25 acres, the Choti Chavani temple is one of the most popular religious sites in Ayodhya and attracts hundreds of pilgrims every day.
Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das talks with other sadhus and saints at Maniram Das Chavni temple in Ayodhya
- He helped in building several temples in Ayodhya, the most notable of which are Ramayan Bhavan, Shri Ranganath Temple and Shri Char Dham Temple.
- Mahant Das is under Z-level security.
- Religious leader Nritya Gopal Das actively participated in the movement to build a Ram temple on Ram’s birthday.
RSS pracharak and businessman Siyaram Gupta handed over a cheque of Rs 1 crore to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (C) as a donation for the construction of the temple
- In 2016, he warned the BJP government that if they did not resolve the Ram temple construction issue, the temple would be excluded from the government.
The BJP government was formed with the blessings of Lord Ram. The BJP has achieved everything in the name of Lord Ram, both at the Centre and in the states, and if it decides to back off on its promise to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, then it could be bad luck for the party.”
- Nritya Gopal Das, head of the Ram Temple Trust, was one of the five people who took to the stage during the bhoomi pujan ceremony at the Ram Temple on August 5, 2020. He shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education