Dudhadhairi Temple Chhattisgarh

Dudhadhari Temple is a Hindu temple located in Raipur Mathpara, Chhattisgarh, India. The current head priest (mahant) of the temple is Rajeshri Dr. Mahant Ramsundar Das Ji Maharaj. Shri Dudhadhari Math was established by the 16th century saint Shri Swami Balbhadradas Ji Maharaj. According to legends, Shri Swami Balbhadradas Ji Maharaj used to survive only on milk and hence he came to be known as Doodh Ahari Maharaj (one who drinks only milk). With the passage of time the word evolved as milkman for ease of pronunciation. Thus the name of the monastery became Dudhadhari Math. The monastery came under the royal patronage of the then Maratha ruler of Nagpur, Maharaja Raghuraoji Bhonsle. The Maharaja brought out a royal charter according to which the head of Sri Dudhdhari Math would be honoured with the title ‘Rajeshri’ and since then all the heads / mahants of the Math were given the title ‘Rajeshri’. So the first as well as the founder of the institution was Mahant Rajeshri Mahant Balbhadradas Ji Maharaj, and as part of the same tradition the head of the present order is Rajeshri Dr. Mahant Ram Sunder Das Ji Maharaj, who is popularly known as Mahant Maharaj among the masses.