Born in a village in Uttarakhand, Ajay Bisht received his BSc education from Garhwal University. After his studies, he came in contact with Mahant Avaidyanath of Gorakhnath temple. Mahant initiated Ajay and named him Yogi Adityanath. When Avaidyanath retired in 1998, he declared Yogi Adityanath as his successor.