Childhood of Quiet Fire: On June 14, 1974, in the modest Chadokar household of Betul, Madhya Pradesh, a boy was born with a temperament that seemed out of step with his age. Unlike other children, Durgadas carried an unusual gravity -- rarely amused by ordinary triumphs, perpetually searching for something undefined. His only true confidante was Ajay Das, a boy just as contemplative and quiet.

Schooling in Betul and higher education in Bhopal shaped his intellect, but not his inner unease. Even when he ventured into video editing -- crafting programs and short films with growing recognition -- the sense of incompleteness followed him like a shadow.

The River’s Whisper: Clarity arrived in 1998 on the banks of the Narmada at Narmadapuram. A dip in the river on a full-moon night calmed the turbulence within. Soon after, he met Shri Shri 1008 Mahamandaleshwar Jagannath Das Ji, whose blessing and counsel changed his course: regular full-moon dips in the Narmada, and one day, the sacred circumambulation known as the Narmada Parikrama.

Destiny circled back too -- his childhood companion Ajay had transformed into Rishi Ajay Das, a sage immersed in the Vedas. Their reunion felt less like chance, more like design.

A Pilgrimage Becomes a Mission: In 2014, on Dev Uthani Ekadashi, Durgadas began the arduous Parikrama from Omkareshwar. At one point of exhaustion, he claims to have heard his late guru’s voice urging him to continue. But it was another encounter that proved transformative: a kinnar pilgrim who spoke with heartbreaking honesty about rejection, yearning only for dignity and wholeness.

That moment shook Durgadas to his core. Later, at Maheshwar, he confessed his turmoil to Rishi Ajay Das, who simply said: “Perhaps God has chosen you for this.”

Founding the Kinnar Akhara: What followed was history in the making. Durgadas and Rishi Ajay Das travelled across India, meeting transgender gurus and uniting them under a shared cause. In 2015, their efforts bore fruit: the Kinnar Akhara was officially established.

Its recognition at the 2016 Kumbh Mela was a watershed moment. For the first time, a transgender monastic order marched alongside India’s ancient akharas. Rishi Ajay Das eventually stepped back, acknowledging that it was Durgadas’s leadership that turned a fragile vision into a living reality.

Now as Mahant Durgadas Nand Giri, he shoulders the responsibility of guiding the akhara, its rituals, and its message of inclusion.

Trials and Turmoil: His leadership, however, has not been free of turbulence. Internal disputes, controversial appointments, and even threats to his safety have marked recent years. Legal battles and public criticism tested his resilience, but Durgadas continues to assert his vision of faith that embraces rather than excludes.

Parallel to this, he champions environmental causes -- campaigning against illegal mining along the Narmada and organizing large-scale plantation drives to heal the river that shaped his destiny.

A Legacy in the Making: From the solemn boy in Betul to the spiritual reformer at the forefront of one of Hinduism’s boldest social experiments, Mahant Durgadas’ story is one of purpose carved from restlessness.

He has given the transgender community not just visibility in sacred spaces, but also dignity rooted in faith. At the same time, his devotion to the Narmada ties his spiritual journey to an ecological one.

In the words of many who know him, Durgadas has proven that those who walk with doubt often end up leading with conviction. His life remains a reminder that true revolutions are born not in noise, but in silence -- then carried forward with unshakeable resolve.