On December 30, Kalicharan Maharaj was arrested by Raipur Police for allegedly criticising Mahatma Gandhi during a speech in the ‘Dharm Sansad’ event in Chhattisgarh. Kalicharan Maharaj was born as Abhijit Dhananjay Sarag. Kalicharan Maharaj, who is often seen in a red robe with a round tilak on his head, is a Shiv and Kali devotee.
He hails from Shivaji Nagar, the old city of Akola, Maharashtra. Kalicharan’s father, Dhananjay Sarag, runs a medical shop.
Kalicharan belongs to the Bhavsagar community. His exact date of birth is unknown, but some reports suggest he was born in 1973. Kalicharan ‘Maharaj’ had quit studies after completing the 8th standard. He was sent to his aunt’s house after he left his studies in Indore. There, he learnt to speak Hindi and started going to Bhayyuji Maharaj’s ashram. Slowly, he started leaning towards spirituality and took Diksha from Bhaiyyuji Maharaj. He started to be known as ‘Kalicharan Maharaj’ after that.
Kalicharan Maharaj is quite popular and many of his videos chanting Mantras and Shlokas from Hindu scriptures have gone viral. he had tried his luck in civic polls in 2017 but did not succeed. There were rumours that he would contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.
Kalicharan Maharaj’s Shiva Tandav Stotra video
In 2020, Kalicharan Maharaj became a social media sensation after videos of him singing the Tandav Strotra went viral. The video was from Bhojeshwar Shiv Temple in Madhya Pradesh. His popularity secured the path for many such videos. One of the professionally rendered videos of his singing Tandav Strotra has gained over two crores views on YouTube.
Kalicharan Maharaj has been actively uploading videos on his official YouTube channel for over three years. Most of his videos have spiritual content, interviews and Katha Vachan. Another video of Kalicharan Maharaj that gained attention on YouTube was from 2018, in which he was seen singing Mahishasur Mardini Stuti.
In one of the videos available on his YouTube channel, during his address at an event, he talked about the problem of caste in Hindu society. He said, “The rotting problem of caste in Hindus create a division that leads to the destruction of Dharma.” He added Hindus should follow Shivaji Maharaj and break the chains of caste and get together under the banner of Hindutva. He said, “The invaders were able to conquer India because Hindus are divided. Shivaji Maharaj brought all Hindus together, and we should follow in his footsteps.”
In another video that gained over nine lakh views, Kalicharan Maharaj was seen visiting the temple elephant at Annpurneshwari Mandir in Mangaluru.
Kalicharan Maharaj has been in news recently after the Chhattisgarh government filed FIRs on him over the statements he made at the Raipur Dharma Sansad. He had criticised MK Gandhi and had held him responsible for the partition of India and the brutal massacre of lakhs of Hindus. The details of the speech that caused his arrest can be read here.
On December 30, he was arrested from MP’s Khajuraho by the Raipur police. The MP government has stated that the Raipur Police’s action arresting the Hindu leader in Madhya Pradesh was in violation of interstate protocols and the Raipur police had not informed the MP police before carrying out the operation.
