25 August,2020 02:25 PM IST | Mumbai | IANS
The Dom Raja of Kashi. Pic/Twitter IANS
The Dom Raja of Kashi, Jagdish Chaudhary, passed away on Tuesday. He was 55 and had been ailing for some time. The Dom Raja was one of the proposers for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last Lok Sabha elections.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has condoled the death of the Dom Raja.
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In a message, the Chief Minister said that his spiritual guru, late Mahant Avaidyanath, had shared a meal at the home of the Dom Raja in order to send a strong message against untouchability.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the death of Varanasi's Dom Raja, who was one of the proposers of his candidature from the constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"Extremely saddened by the demise of Dom Raja Jagdish Chaudhary of Varanasi. He was settled in the culture of Kashi and was the conductor of the Sanatan tradition there. He worked for social harmony throughout his life. May God give peace to his soul and give the family the strength to bear this suffering," tweeted the Prime Minister.
The Dom Raja of Kashi, as the head of his Chaudhary clan, which considers itself the most exalted among the Dom sub-castes, is considered the chief keeper of the fire burning uninterrupted at Varanasi's Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats, which are reserved for cremation.
It is believed that if the pyre is lit by the Dom Raja's clan, the dead achieve salvation.
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