Priests: Rahul belongs to Kaul Dattatreya lineage

The priests at Brahma Temple have revealed that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's gotra' or caste as Kaul Brahmin (Kashmiri Brahmin) and belongs to Kaul Dattatreya lineage. The priests told media after Rahul Gandhi performed puja rituals on the ghats of Sarovar lake in Pushkar.

According to a document signed by the Congress chief in the ancient Brahma Temple in Pushkar, Rahul Gandhi accepted that he performed the puja under the presence of his two family priests Deenanath Kaul & Rajnath Kaul. The two family priests who were present at Pushkar during the puja confirmed that Gandhi's family lineage from ancient records.

Rahul Gandhi wrote in the register "Rahul Gandhi, son of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, have happily come to Pushkar for puja ceremony today on 26/11/2018. My heart is filled with joy after performing rituals with my family priest Deenaanath Kaul and Rajnath Kaul. I pray for calm and peace in India and the world." Rahul Gandhi wrote Vande Mataram in the beginning and signed the paper with his name in English at the end of the document. After Rahul Gandhi left, Deenanath Kaul & Rajnath Kaul told media, "Rahul Gandhi told us that he belongs to Kaul Dattatreya lineage and later we confirmed and found that he was right after checking with our records".

Kaul is a surname used by Kashmiri Pandits. Rahul Gandhi's great-grandfather Jawahar Lal Nehru was a Kashmiri Pandit.

Rahul had earlier claimed himself to be an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and a twice-born Hindu (janeu dhari), was under attack from ruling BJP to reveal his caste.

The register also has the entries of visits by all members of Gandhi family who have come to pay a visit at the Brahma Temple in Pushkar - including, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Motilal Nehru to Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi. The record book also reveals that Rajiv Gandhi had visited the temple thrice, while Sonia Gandhi has visited the ancient holy place twice. Moreover, the last trip of Rajiv Gandhi was on May 2, 1991 - three weeks before his assassination. He was accompanied by Congress leaders Shiv Charan Mathur and Ashok Gehlot.

Rahul kicks off a campaign from Dargah and Brahma temple to woo Hindu and Muslim voters:

In an attempt to woo both Hindu and Muslim voters in Rajasthan Rahul Gandhi visited Pushkar to kick-start his campaign in the poll-bound state of Rajasthan. Rahul Gandhi paid respects at the 13th-century dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer. He was accompanied by Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

At the dargah a traditional khadim (cleric) made him perform 'ziyarat' at the dargah. Thousands of devotees and Congress supporters had assembled outside the shrine to get the glimpse of Gandhi scion. Later in the day, he addressed a public meeting in Pokhran and Jalore and Jodhpur. Abdul Jarar Chisthi, chief Khadim at the dargah told DH, "Gandhi family has always visited dargah regularly. Rahul Gandhi has visited dargah thrice, once with his grandmother Indira Gandhi, later in the capacity of Congress Vice President and this time he visited first time in the capacity of Congress President. We prayed for his well being and gave good wishes to his party in upcoming polls".

Rajasthan goes to polls on December 7 and counting will take place on December 11.