Dhirendra Krishna Shastri

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri (born 4 July 1996 as Dhirendra Krishna Garg) also known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar or Maharaj, is a Hindu Spiritual Guru and the peethadhishwar of the Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, a religious Hindu pilgrimage site in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, India. Shastri recites stories at Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur. Shastri has been accused of tricking people using mentalism.

Family
Shastri was born on 4 July 1996 in Gada village of Chhatarpur district. He was the eldest of two children to Saroj Garg (mother) and Ram Kripal Garg (father) and was brought up in a Hindu Saryupareen Brahmin family where his father works as a priest. Shastri's childhood was one of poverty; his family lived in a kutcha house. As a child, he used to narrate stories to people in his village.

Education
Shastri completed his schooling in Ganj village.

Religious career
Shastri is a disciple of Rambhadracharya. Shastri is known for his preaching of the Ramcharitmanas and Shiva Purana. He claims to have some charismatic powers achieved through sādhanā by his followers.

Bageshwar Dham Sarkar
Shastri is serving as a peethadhishwar and chief of Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, a Hindu pilgrimage site dedicated to Hanuman in Gada village in Chattarpur District, Madhya Pradesh. Shastri organises a divya darbar at this dham every Tuesday and Saturday, where it is believed that he heals all the physical, mental, economic, and social sufferings of people with his divine powers, which he got from Hanuman. In an interview with The Lallantop Shastri said that he is the third generation serving as the chief of the dham, after his grandfather and father.

Social activities
Shastri has established the Annapurna Kitchen in his dham, where free food offerings are arranged for his followers. He also holds an annual function for the marriage of poor and destitute girls. He is establishing a Vedic Gurukula to promote ancient vedic studies and Sanskrit.

Shastri is said to have brought 300 people converted to Christianity back into Hinduism during a ghar wapsi program in 2021. On January 25, 2023, Government of Madhya Pradesh increased the security of Shastri following the death threats received by him.

Social media presence
Shastri has experienced a surge in his social media presence, boasting of a total of 7.5 million followers across various platforms. Specifically, he has garnered 3.4 million followers on Facebook, 3.9 million subscribers on YouTube, 300,000 followers on Instagram, and 72,000 followers on Twitter. Several of his widely viewed videos have garnered between three and ten million views.

Superstition and witchcraft allegations
Shastri came into focus when Indian rationalist Shyam Manav challenged him and questioned his spiritual powers. Manav also accused Shastri of promoting blind faith. When the controversy erupted in the media, Shastri invited Manav to his Divya Darbar and said, “I am just a servant at the feet of Bageshwar Balaji. I do as he inspires me”.

The All India Superstition Eradication Committee (Akhil Bhartiya Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti) made a complaint to the Nagpur Police about Shastri under the anti-superstition act. The committee's chairman, Shyam Manav, said that witchcraft is being promoted in the guise of 'Divya Darbar' and 'Preta Darbar', and that ordinary people are being frauded, cheated, and exploited by Dhirendra Shastri in the name of religion. The police investigated this and found no grounds for prosecution under the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act (2013).

Many Hindu Religious leaders like Swami Ramdev, Rambhadracharya, Sadhvi Prachi, Pragya Thakur and Bharatiya Janata Party politician Giriraj Singh came to his support. He also got support from Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad  On 22 January 2023, several Hindu organizations called for a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in support of Bageshwar Dham Sarkar's Chief Pontiff Shastri. On 25 January 2023, the Nagpur Police gave a clean chit to Dhirendra Shastri against an allegation of promoting superstitious activities in his public programmes in Nagpur. Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said that during an inquiry into the complaint and the examination of “evidence” submitted by complainant Shyam Manav, founder of ‘Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti’, nothing was found that could attract action under the Maharashtra Anti-Superstition & Black Magic Act.

Hindu nationalism
On the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on January 23, Shastri gave the slogan "Give us your support, we will give Hindu Rashtra" to declare India as a Hindu nation. He also urged that Ramcharitmanas be declared the national scripture of India. In Rajat Sharma's Aapki Adalat Show Shastri said that he respects all religions and is not against any religion but will not tolerate objectionable remarks against his religion. He also said that he will continue to raise the demand for Hindu Rashtra and Akhand Bharat.

Shastri's remarks received mixed reactions, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi opposed it citing the constitution, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath endorsed his remarks and said that India is already a Hindu Rashtra.