According to sources at Shri Ram Hospital in Ayodhya, the deterioration was noticed after Mahant Nritya Gopal Das showed signs of severe weakness. Retired physician Dr S.K. Pathak examined him following complaints of continuous gastrointestinal distress. Given his age and medical history, doctors advised immediate referral to a higher medical centre.

Y.P. Singh, administrative officer of Shri Ram Hospital, said a medical team assessed the Mahant soon after receiving information about his condition. “Considering the symptoms and his overall health, it was decided to shift him to Medanta Hospital, Lucknow, for further evaluation and treatment,” Singh said. An ambulance equipped with medical support was arranged, and the seer was accompanied by his successor, Mahant Kamalnayan Das.

Mahant Nritya Gopal Das is also the head of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Nyas and has millions of followers across India and abroad. His health has remained a matter of concern in recent years. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he had tested positive for the virus while attending religious events in Mathura. Since then, he has been hospitalised at Medanta on multiple occasions, including in September 2024, due to age-related complications.

Despite fluctuating health, the Mahant has continued to take part in religious engagements. In November 2025, he visited the ashram of Saint Premanand Maharaj in Mathura-Vrindavan, where he received a ceremonial welcome. During that visit, he spoke about the centrality of devotion and faith in spiritual life, drawing large gatherings of devotees.

Born on June 11, 1938, in Kerhala village of Mathura district, Nritya Gopal Das turned to spirituality at a young age. He later became a disciple of Mahant Ram Manohar Das in Ayodhya and went on to earn a Shastri degree from Banaras Sanskrit University. In 1965, he was appointed Mahant of Shri Maniram Das Chhawni and, in 2003, was elected head of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.

He currently serves as the chief of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust and is widely regarded as a unifying figure among akharas. Doctors at Medanta are expected to issue a detailed medical bulletin after initial examinations.