Balbir Giri appointed as new Mahant of Baghambari Math after Narendra Giri’s demise

File Photo (Narendra Giri)

New Delhi: After Narendra Giri’s death, Balbir Giri has been appointed as the new Mahant of Baghambari Math. 

Swami Kailashanand Giri Maharaj, the Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of Niranjani Akhada, a leading body of Hindu seers, said as per the tradition of the math Balbir Giri has been selected as the next chief of Baghambari Math.

The decision will be formally announced on Thursday (September 30) in Haridwar, Niranjani Akhara's secretary Mahant Ravindra Puri told PTI.

On September 20, Mahant Narendra Giri, also the president of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad, had allegedly committed suicide. He had expressed the desire to make Balbir Giri the mahant of Allahabad's Baghambari Math. Narendra Giri’s advocate Rishi Shankar Dwivedi confirmed that in his last will of June 4, 2020, the deceased Mahant had wanted Balbir Giri to be chosen as his successor.

“In our meeting last evening, we had deliberated upon the issue of appointing the new mahant of the math and had decided that the person who had been nominated by the late mahant as his successor should be made the new mahant of the Bagahmbari math,” Puri told the news agency.

“As our other mahants are presently in Haridwar, the issue will be deliberated upon again there and a formal announcement would be made there on Thursday,” he added. 

Puri said that ‘Sodhshi Bhandara', the tradition of felicitating a new mahant by offering a shawl, would be held on October 5 between 11 am and 1 pm.

Meanwhile, during the appointment of the new mahant of the Baghambari Math, a monitoring committee of five mahants of the Niranjani Akhara too would be made.

(With PTI inputs)