Before I start telling about Rambhadracharya, I would like to share with you the short story of my first encounter with him. It was year 1997 and I was a graduate student. I had relation with a Mishra ji of Varanasi. He would seldom visit me and would say ‘I find peace in my heart when I meet and talk to you’. I was a philosophy student and would give him some sermon on spirituality. He was from the family of Kamalapati Tripathi and was a very famous man. In fact he was a criminal. In those days he was declared Tadipar but because of his political links he was safe. In Uttar Pradesh criminals are hailed as hero and sometimes incarnation of Gods. Once he visited at my place and said that he was going to Chitrakoot. I followed him and we started journey in night from Varanasi. We reached Chitrakoot in morning. It was almost 6-7 hours journey with Jeep. Rambhadracharya had relation with him when he was in his early 20s. Rambhadra charya was born as pandit Giridhar on 14 January 1950 in Jaunpur. Jaunpur is very near to Mishra ji’s home town and he was frequent visitor to Jaunpur as he had some relations there. Later it became his field of operation also. We reached Chitrakoot and met him at his Ashram which was small at that time. He was in his early 50s and he was constructing a pravachal hall. In the hall colorful mirrors were heavily used to decorate the walls with images and stories of Puran and Ramayana. Mr. Mishra and Mr. Giridhar hugged each other as if both were close friends. Mr. Mishra had told me that he was his langotiya yar (class met ), I didn’t inquire much about him. Rambhadracharya took us into underground to show something and to my amazement the underground of his ashram was full of weapons of all types and sizes. In his stock there were rifles, two barrel and single barrel guns, Mouser Gun, Pistol , Revolver and many other kinds of guns like local katta etc. He told us that gun were collected for protection from dacoits. Mr. Mishra checked few and I also touched it. He perhaps went there in search of a good weapon as he was a Tadipar those days and he had many enemies in the area of his operation. We came out from underground and together we had lunch. We visited many religious places in Chitrakoot. I was only thinking about those guns, I had never seen these kinds of guns in my life.

When I came Delhi and settled here in 2004, one day I saw him on TV. Oh, Mr. Giridhar ! He was started becoming becoming Popular. He was a mayavi, I knew from the very beginning. I watched his pravachan and knew that he is mayavi and a great musical artist. His blindness clicked because Hindus regard all blind babas as Surdas. He pretends to be very emotionally charged and weeps while narrating Ramayana stories. He is in fact a different kind of atheist. His recent rise in popularity is due to Hindutva’s support. He is fed with black money. In Hindutva gang of Babas, he is one of the flag bearer of Hindutva hatemongering and initiates all hatemongers. Hindutva hatemongers frequently visit him for guidance and blessing. He himself is a great hatemonger and supports riots, rape and all evil that a spiritual teacher should condemn. His favorite disciples include recently famous quasi illiterate Dhirendra Krishna Shastri aka Bageshwar Dham Sarkar. He is said to be one of four incumbent Ramanandacharyas.

But here is some interesting facts that would prove him ignorant and atheist. He is haunted by grahas and he wears lot of stones in his fingers to ward of evil effects of planets. He tells people in Pravachan that “Ram-nama” is the remedy of all thing bad and evil, even one defeats death (Yama). He loudly proclaims that Ram-nama (name of Rama) makes one fearless and liberates one from suffering and cycle of birth and death.

A young kathavachak and ascetic Nigrahacharya challenges him everyday for the debate on various historical and theological issues but he does not accept it. Nigrahacharya everyday condemns and challenges him and calls him a liar and thug.
He says that this thug does not speak as per scriptures of the tradition and he is absolutely not eligible to hold tri-dand (त्रि-दंड). He says that he does not follow Sanyasa dharma at all.
An ascetic or Sadhu who does not speak and behaves as is taught in scriptures is called a man of demonic nature (Asuri sampat).

Rambhadracharya is a vagrant and number one hatemonger. He is fed with black money and Godi media made him very popular in last 9 years. In Ramayana itself there is examples of such people. Kalnemi is one example who uses saffron garb and name of Rama to deviate and deceive Hanuman.