Express News Service
LUCKNOW: Shri Panchayati Akhara Niranjani, to which late Mahant Narendra Giri belonged, has decided to anoint Balbeer Giri, disciple of the late seer, as his successor at the Shri Mutth Baghambari Gaddi.
The Akhara has taken the decision to honour the last wish of Mahant Narendra Giri, president, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), who was found dead in mysterious circumstances as his body was spotted hanging from a ceiling fan in the room of his Muthh by his disciples on September 20. The Niranajani Akhara has decided to perform the coronation of Balbeer Giri as peethhadheeshwar of Shree Muthh Baghambari Gaddi on the ‘shodashi,’ the 16th day ritual of the late seer on October 5.
However, Balbeer Giri will have to get approval for all the major decisions pertaining to the Muthh by ‘panch parmeshwar,’ a five-member administrative body. In fact, the decision to anoint Balbeer Giri was taken in accordance with the last will of the late Mahant and his alleged suicide note recovered from the spot where his body was found hanging. Mahant Narendra Giri not only declared Balbeer Giri as his successor in the ‘will’ done on June 4, 2020 but also made the same wish in the suicide note as well.
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“As desired by Maharaj Ji (Narendra Giri) in his last will, we have named Balbeer Giri as his successor. He had also mentioned his decision in the suicide note and we have seen it in the video recorded by Maharaj Ji before committing suicide,” said Mahant Ravindra Puri, general secretary of Niranjani Akhara. It may be recalled that initially both the Niranajani Akhara and the Akhil BharatiyaAkhara Parishad had rejected the suicide theory and the note recovered from the spot. They had even refused to anoint Balbeer Giri as the late seer’s successor saying the Akhara Parishad would decide on the issue after September 25. Puri said that senior seers of all 13 Akharas under ABAP, respected individuals of society and officials of the district administration would be invited for the coronation ceremony on October 5.
After his anointment as peethhadheeshwar of Shree Muthh Baghambari Gaddi, Balbeer Giri would also become head Mahant of Bade Hanuman temple at Sangam. Balbeer Giri is one of Mahant Narendra Giri’s most beloved disciples for 15 years. He hails from Uttarakhand and had left his family in the year 2005 taking Sanyas. He was given Diksha by Narendra Giri at Haridwar and is looking after the Bilkeshwar Mahadev temple there.
Shri Panchayati Akhara Niranjani is the parental organisation of Baghambari Gaddi Math, and since Mahant Narendra Giri was also the secretary of the Akhara (besides Ravindra Puri), the ‘Panch Parmeshwar’ — a body constituting prominent seers of the Akhara — has the responsibility to appoint the successor of a mahant or peethhadheeshvar.
