The followers of the mutt call Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal a reformist saint and credit him with ensuring that the preachings of Adi Sankara were spread among people beyond the Brahmin community. This He did by encouraging the spiritual mutt to become more of a social service-oriented one and making it all-inclusive. But at the same time, he did not wish to go down in history merely as a religious figure. He had ambitions of being seen as a seer who understood politics and wanted to have a say in issues facing the nation. It is this approach that led to Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal playing a part in trying to resolve the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute during the NDA rule, by engaging with stakeholders from both communities and the government.