Personal Life Dhirendra Krishna Shastri

Shastri is unmarried and lives at Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur. His younger brother is Shaligram Garg; Shastri has said publicly that he has cut ties with him.

Incidents at the Dham

In July 2025, ahead of his birthday celebrations, a tent collapsed in heavy rain at Bageshwar Dham on 3 July, killing one devotee and injuring several others. A few days later, on 8 July, a wall of a guest house near the Dham collapsed, killing a woman devotee. Shastri then asked devotees not to come to the Dham for Guru Purnima because of the rain and crowds.

Controversies and criticism

• Superstition complaint (2023): Shyam Manav of the Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti accused him of promoting superstition and filed a complaint with Nagpur Police under Maharashtra's anti-superstition law. On 25 January 2023, Nagpur Police said their inquiry found nothing that attracted action under the Act and gave him a clean chit.
• Remarks on religion: His calls for a "Hindu Rashtra" and his statements about other religions have drawn criticism from opposition and minority leaders and support from several Hindu religious leaders. Shastri has said he respects all religions but opposes religious conversion.
• Durga Puja remarks (2026): In September 2026 his appeal to avoid non-vegetarian food near Durga Puja pandals caused a political row and protests in West Bengal.