Reminiscing about country’s stalwarts, hoping for a refined political discourse

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, Das wasn’t sure whether he would be able to exercise his franchise

Mahant Dayaram Das, 100, is the head priest of the Veer Hanuman Mandir, located on a hilltop in a densely populated slum at Vikhroli Park Site in eastern Mumbai. He lives in a tiny room right behind the temple and wakes up at 4am every day for morning prayers and a pooja. He has a hearing impairment but is still mobile, although he relies on an assistant who helps him walk and converse with people.

Dayaram Das said compared to the past, there is a lot of chaos in today’s politics. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo )

Ahead of the Lok Sabha