Rajnath expresses grief over demise of Varanasi's Dom Raja Jagdish Chaudhary
Aug 25, 2020
New Delhi [India], Aug 25 : Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his condolences to the family members of Dom Raja of Varanasi, Jagdish Chaudhary, who passed away on Tuesday following a long illness.
He was the most senior member of his family.
Taking to Twitter, Singh wrote (roughly translated from Hindi), "I feel deeply pained by the demise of Dom Raja Jagdish Chaudhary of Varanasi. In the Indian cultural tradition, he and his ancestors are believed to be associated with the time of King Harishchandra. His life carries the message of taking all sections of society together. My condolences to his family."
Dom Rajas are the keepers of the sacred flames revered by Hindus, which is used at the Varanasi ghat for the cremation of bodies. It is believed that the Dom community has been entrusted with the task since the time of Raja Harishchandra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mourned the demise of Chaudhary.
