The office-bearers of Shri Panchayati Akhada Niranjani have decided to appoint ‘s disciple Balbeer Giri as his successor, in accordance with the president of Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) Mahant Narendra Giri’s last will and testament dated June 4, 2020, as well as the purported suicide note found next to his body.
The akhada’s office-bearers notified Niranjani akhada office-bearers that the ceremony to appoint Balbeer as the new Pithadishwar (head) of Baghambari Gaddi Math will take place on October 5.
General secretary of Niranjani Akhada, Mahant Ravindra Puri said on Tuesday, “As in the last will of Maharaj ji (Narendra Giri), Balbeer Giri has been named as his successor and the same wish has been mentioned in the suicide note as well in his last video recording found on his cell phone before committing suicide, it has been decided that his wishes would be honoured and Balbeer would be made the next head of Bagamabari Math.”
The ceremony would be held at the Math on October 5, he added.
Narendra Giri had made a will on January 7, 2010 wherein he had named Balbeer Giri as his successor, but he changed his will on August 29, 2011 and named Anand Giri as his successor. He again changed his will on June 4, 2020, which is his last will as per his lawyer Rishi Shankar Dwivedi, wherein Balbeer Giri has been named as his successor.
Mahant Ravindra Puri said that senior seers of the 13 Akhadas along with respectable individuals of the society, officials of the district administration and others would be invited for the “pattaabhishek” (anointing) ceremony which is scheduled to take place on October 5. The ceremony would coincide with ‘Shodashi’ of Narendra Giri, rituals performed on the 16th day of the passing away of a saint.
Interestingly, Balbeer Giri would not only head the Baghambari Math but also the Bade Hanuman temple near Sangam, as its new Acharya.
Mahant Ravindra Puri also informed that a five-member ‘supervisory board’ would look after the working of the Math. For all the major decisions, like selling or purchase of land etc, the future head of the Math would have to get approval of this five-member administrative body.
“This all-important body would include members from Nirnjani Akhada only. Besides me (Ravindra Puri), the other members would be Mahant Dinesh Giri, Mahant Omkar Giri, Keshav Puri and Mahant Har Govind Puri”, informed Ravindra Puri.
“We are following the set practices and traditions of the Akhada and all the decision are in strict accordance with it,” he explained.
