Friday, June 4, 2010

RAM RAM JAPNA PARAYA MAAL APNA: THE LIFESTYLES OF SOME INDIAN SWAMIS

Swami Nithyananda is often referred to as Sex Swami. It well describes what he has done and for what he is known for. However, sex is not the only crime of the tainted Swamiji, he has been accused of fraud and breaking families. It brings a doubt in the mind as to why only this sex angle is highlighted.

The exposure of Swamiji being involved in sexual relations with the ashram disciples stands in stark contrast to the tradition of celibacy Hindu priests are supposed to practice. The control of sexual desire through celibacy is considered one of the main stages towards perfection of spirituality in Christianity and Hinduism. The common man believes and expects the priests to value these principles. That is why they are revered in society.


The exposure of Swamiji being involved in sexual relations with the ashram disciples stands in stark contrast to the tradition of celibacy Hindu priests are supposed to practice.


It was disgusting to see the swami behaving indecently with a female disciple on national television. After this was shown on television people staged protests against the Swami and gheraoed his Bangalore ashram. The subsequent clarification by Swamiji on the Sun News broadcast that at the time of video being shot he was in a “state of trance” due to his illness did not go well with the public. The swami looks quite hail and hearty and was definitely in a trance but for a different reason.

The video was shot by one of Swami’s oldest disciple Lenin who after seeing this behaviour of Nithyananda with his devotees had resolved to expose him in public. Defensive statements were issued by the ashram that it was a conspiracy to degrade Swami by Christian elements. But reality cannot be suppressed through false claims. In the view of the statements by those who had been at the ashram and saw Swami from very close, it is impossible to make people believe that this Swami is a saint and not a fraudster.

The subsequent clarification by Swamiji on the Sun News broadcast that at the time of video being shot he was in a “state of trance” due to his illness did not go well with the public.

Lenin deserves appreciation from the public for his brave step of exposing Nithyananda. There are so many others who are still at large but nobody has the courage to expose their wrong doings. Besides men, young girls and married women were the regular visitors to the Swami’s ashrams to learn about the religous teachings or having their disputes settled through the blessings of Swamiji. Taking advantage of their blind faith in him Swamiji would make them sign a non-disclosure agreement. The disciples, who were in awe of the Swami, felt no hesitation in doing so.

According to those who have spoken about his activities inside the ashram after this expose, young girls were made to render physical service to Swamiji and other seniors in the ashram. Swami’s secretary Nitya Gopika had the responsibility to persuade these girls to the bed of Swami. She is still absconding and the police are on her hunt.

Lenin deserves appreciation from the public for his brave step of exposing Nithyananda. There are so many others who are still at large but nobody has the courage to expose their wrong doings.

As for married disciples of Swami, they would seek divorce from their husbands without a realization of being trapped by ashramites, and then allot their properties to Swami.

What Swamiji did at the residence of one his followers is even more shameful. When in 2002, Kuppuswamy, a studio owner in Bangalore, called Swamiji to his house for treating his aching legs Swamiji had a romantic time with the women from the neighbourhood who had come to catch a blessed glimpse of Swamiji. “Under the pretext of teaching yoga, Swamiji let his hands run over their bodies. He told the women sexy jokes which they felt ashamed to have heard from a godman. During the Singara dance, Swamiji would hug the women with whom he was dancing,” writes a Tamil Magazine named Junior Vikatan.

But the romance of Swamiji brought him humiliation when Kuppuswamy caught him red handed with the wife of one of his close friends. Kuppuswamy threw Swamiji out of his home.

According to those who have spoken about his activities inside the ashram after this expose, young girls were made to render physical service to Swamiji and other seniors in the ashram. Swami’s secretary Nitya Gopika had the responsibility to persuade these girls to the bed of Swami. She is still absconding and the police are on her hunt.


The case of Swami, who some days ago claimed that he was not a man at all, does not end here. According to reports, he ran a sex racket from his ashrams in Kengeri--a suburb of Bangalore-- and the US with selected women devotees. The CID which is investigating his case also came across some testimonies by his devotees that Swamiji did not even spare young men in his ashram and lured them into having sex with him with false promises of divinity and spiritual powers.

Nithyananda was arrested on April 21st in Himachal Pradesh along with his other four colleagues while another assistant Shailesh Tiwari managed to escape from the hands of CID. IPS Venu Gopal who headed the arrest raid has an astonishing fact to relate about Nithyananda. In an interview to magazine Junior Vikatan he said that for questioning, each of those arrested were put into separate rooms and in the night one security guard was asked to sleep with each. The police guard assigned the duty with Nithyananda refused to sleep in the room with him because one of the charges against Nithyananda is IPC section 377.” (a section imposed on someone involved in sex with minors and coercive sex).

But the romance of Swamiji brought him humiliation when Kuppuswamy caught him red handed with the wife of one of his close friends. Kuppuswamy threw Swamiji out of his home.

Saru Nivedita, a former disciple of Swami, has written in one of her articles published in Tamil magazine Kumudam Reporter the relation of the Swami with his disciples. She says that incidents of fraud by Swami are unaccountable. Referring to one Aanandi (fake name) from a family of police officers of high ranks, she writes that, “whenever Nithyananda involves in a family, he makes the non-married girls priests and those who are married, he separates them from their husbands.”

Aanandi also became a disciple of Swami. After a few days, on the instruction of Swami, she sought divorce from her husband in Chennai Court. A female advocate was appointed by Swami’s ashram to represent Aanandi and the case ended in divorce. The advocate demanded from Aanandi a fee of Rs 15 lakh. According to Saru, then she was subjected to different kinds of torture (so that she left the ashram). Being asked by Saru whether it was sexual torture Aanandi said, “Why would he do sexual torture to me? There are many more young and beautiful girls (for sexual torture).” Aanandi succumbed to the pressure and quit the ashram within two months. Though on demand Swami returned her 15 sawran (one sawran consists of 8 gm) Mangal Sutra she had given him after becoming a disciple, but he occupied her properties around Chennai worth Rs 15 crore.

Aanandi also became a disciple of Swami. After a few days, on the instruction of Swami, she sought divorce from her husband in Chennai Court. A female advocate was appointed by Swami’s ashram to represent Aanandi and the case ended in divorce. The advocate demanded from Aanandi a fee of Rs 15 lakh.

With married women he would not get involved sexually but snatch their properties, writes Saru in the magazine Kumudam Reporter. “Swami even tortured me. He brought a 1,000-page English book and asked me to translate it within two months.”

Swami became friends with a Bangalore billionaire Nag Raj who had an ashram built for him in 4-acre plot in Bidadi, a town 32 km from Bangalore. But when he became aware of misdeeds by Swami he complained about it to the then home minister Mallikarjuna Kharge. A police officer Mr.Chandra Shekhar said that it is in the Bidadi Ashram that police found many incriminating documents, 23 hard disks downloaded with information. He also said that there were many CDs similar to the one shown on television.

When the police arrested the swami from a house in Himachal Pradesh they also seized 300 kg of articles. Among which were150 kg electronic items, 3 laptops, 10 cell phones, 15 SIM cards, camera, modem, portable power connection, some internet instruments, and many other articles including 12 huge suitcases and 3 lakh India currency and US$ 7000 in cash. What was the need for so many electronic gadgets for this godman?

When the police arrested the swami from a house in Himachal Pradesh they also seized 300 kg of articles. Among which were150 kg electronic items, 3 laptops, 10 cell phones, 15 SIM cards, camera, modem, portable power connection, some internet instruments, and many other articles including 12 huge suitcases and 3 lakh India currency and US$ 7000 in cash.


What the public needs to understand is that such types of godman have more to do with the devil then with god. They have taken it as a profession to cheat people out of their wealth. Such swamis bring a bad name to the other swamis of Hinduism. Lenin or Lenin Dharmananda after being rechristened as per the ashram tradition quit the ashram when he realised that this was no place of spirituality. The choice of a spiritual guide should be made after observing his character. But in these ashrams it is worldliness that is practised and there is no spirituality. It is surprising that 50 days after the arrest warrant was issued for the arrest of the swami that the swami was arrested. It is said that a prominent Hindu personality was the obstacle in the way of his arrest. Why do we commit the mistake of sheltering such black sheep of our society? Who would benefit if the swami was not arrested?

By A Hameed Yousuf
ahameed12@gmail.com

1 comment:

  1. Very nice. Keep it on and pray for me as well

    Mufti Mohd Yahya Qasmi

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