Acharya Laxmikant Dixit passes away at 85
Acharya Laxmikant Dixit, the principal priest who oversaw the consecration ceremony for Lord Ram’s idol at the Ayodhya Ram temple earlier this year, died early Saturday morning. He was 85 years old.
Laxmikant Dixit’s son, Sunil Dixit, told India Today TV that his father had slept as usual the day before. He awoke at 6.30 a.m. today and passed out while walking to the bathroom, according to Sunil Dixit.
Laxmikant Dixit died at his home in Varanasi about 7 a.m. His final rites will be held at Manikarnika Ghat.
Also read: Centre forms high-level committee led by ex-ISRO chief to monitor NTA functioning
PM Modi, UP CM Yogi offer tributes to Acharya Laxmikant Dixit
Acharya Laxmikant Dixit played a vital role in the historic event on January 22, overseeing the installation ceremony of Lord Ram’s idol in Ayodhya, which was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi expressed his condolences over the loss of Laxmikant Dixit.
“Dixit ji was a well-known Kashian scholar. I saw him on the day the Kashi Vishwanath Dham and Ram temple were inaugurated. “His death is an irreparable loss to society,” Prime Minister Modi remarked.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed sadness on Acharya Dixit’s death. In a statement, he praised the acharya as a great scholar from Kashi (Varanasi) and a guiding light at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, calling his death as irreparable in the spiritual and literary domains.
“He will always be remembered for his service to Sanskrit language and Indian culture,” Yogi Adityanath said.