| 1. Mohit Pandey is a priest from India. |
| 2. In 2023, he was appointed as a chief pujari at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. |
| 3. His uncle was a Vedic scholar, and Mohit followed in his footsteps into the religious path. |
| 4. He applied for the priest recruitment in Ayodhya Ram Mandir in 2023. |
| 5. Out of 3000 applicants, Mohit was among the top 200 shortlisted for interviews at Karsevak Puram. |
| 6. Only 20 candidates, including Mohit, were selected by a three-member panel after the interviews. |
| 7. He then underwent six months of training before serving as a priest at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. |
| 8. The temple was set to be inaugurated on 22 January 2024. |
| 9. After being selected as a priest, Mohit faced a controversy when manipulated photos of him went viral in December 2023. |
| 10. The fake photos were traced back to a Congress leader from Gujarat, Hitendra Pithadiya, who was arrested for defamation. |
