Varanasi priest dies by suicide after Goddess Kali "did not appear" before him

Amit Sharma, a 45-year-old priest and devotee of Goddess Kali, tragically died by suicide in Varanasi after his prayers to invoke the goddess did not yield the desired outcome, police reported on Wednesday.

Sharma, who lived in a rented home in Gaighat Pathangali for the past seven years, reportedly locked himself in his room on Saturday to conduct a 24-hour prayer ritual. According to sources, the priest firmly believed that Goddess Kali would appear before him and spent hours chanting "Maa Kali, Darshan De" (Goddess Kali, reveal yourself).

However, when his expectations were not met, Sharma became distressed and used a knife to slit his throat on Sunday evening.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Ishan Soni stated that Sharma was rushed to a local hospital’s trauma center but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Sharma was known to regularly offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and assist tourists on religious pilgrimages, according to his landlord. The incident has left those who knew him shocked and grieving.

The police have sent Sharma’s body for post-mortem examination and launched a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.