Bageshwar Dham Sarkar: Advocate of Superstition & Sanatan Dharma | About 'Godman' Dhirendra Shastri

Self-proclaimed godman Bageshwar Dham Sarkar has been making headlines with his advocacy of superstition and his “miraculous” powers in Sanatan Dharma. He was recently challenged by a Maharashtra-based organization to show evidence of his powers at an event in Nagpur, after which he became a viral topic of discussion on social media.

According to several reports, he initially refused the challenge but later demanded the organization to visit him in Raipur. Bageshwar Dham Sarkar has also been accused of religious conversion, however, he himself proclaims he is against it.

Defending his stance on conversion to Hinduism, he said some people are creating a nuisance and have to be taught a lesson. “We are making Hindus to return to the religion they acquired at birth. As long as I am alive, I will make all Sanatani Hindus return to their original faith,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

Here’s all you need to know about Bageshwar Dham Sarkar:

1. Born in 1996, Bageshwar Dham Sarkar is a 26-year-old self-styled godman from Madhya Pradesh and is associated with Chhatarpur’s Bageshwar Dham temple, a Hindustan Times report said.
2. He was born as Dhirendra Krishna Shastri and became famous as his followers claimed he can read minds. He has a huge following who believe in his miraculous power.
3. He sparked controversy as he allegedly endorsed religious conversion to Hinduism, which he later defended as “Sanatani Hindus returning to their original faith.”
4. Bageshwar Dham Sarkar claims he writes what the future holds for his devotees on a paper chit. Shastri said, “I have acquired the skill by the grace of God, our Gurus and the power of the mantras of Sanatan Dharma.”
5. He has also called for a boycott of those against Sanatan Dharma, and claimed a false narrative has been spread against him. The people of Bageshwar Dham will give them a fitting reply, he said.
6. Bageshwar reportedly fled from Ramkatha in Nagpur when a Maharashtra-based anti-superstition committee challenged him. However, he later demanded the organization to visit him in Raipur.
7. He terms the religious conversion of people to Hinduism as “ghar wapsi” and said he will focus on unity among Hindus, boycott those who speak against Sanatana Dharma and make sure maximum people convert to Hinduism.
8. Dhirendra Shastri spent his childhood in poverty and his entire family used to live in a mud house, a Times Now report said. He completed his primary education from a government school in his village and his father was a priest.

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