Chief of Army Staff visits Jagadguru ashram in MP, gets PoK as guru dakshina

A senior Indian Army official’s recent visit to a religious ashram in Madhya Pradesh has stirred public debate over the appropriateness of a serving military officer participating in religious ceremonies while wearing uniform.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi visited the ashram of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya in Chitrakoot on May 28, seeking blessings from the spiritual leader.

“I initiated the Army Chief into the Ram Mantra, the same mantra Hanuman ji received from Sita ji and achieved victory over Lanka. When the matter of dakshina (offering) came up, I asked for something no teacher has asked before: I want PoK. He accepted my request,” Rambhadracharya later told PTI.

This statement comes just weeks after Operation Sindoor, during which India conducted military strikes on targets in Pakistan following an attack in Pahalgam. The four-day conflict concluded with a ceasefire on May 10.

Military veterans and observers have expressed concerns over General Dwivedi’s presence at a religious site in uniform, questioning whether it breaches the Army’s code of conduct regarding religious neutrality.

In 2024, the Army reinforced its internal guidelines prohibiting personnel from wearing religious symbols or taking part in religious events while in uniform, following controversies on social media where military and religious identities appeared to be intertwined.

The Army has yet to release any official statement regarding the visit.