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Nithyananda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal | |
| Born | Arunachalam Rajasekaran 1 January 1978[1] Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Organization | |
| Founder of | Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam |
| Philosophy | Advaita Vedanta |
Nithyananda (born Arunachalam Rajasekaran;[a] 1 January 1978), is an Indian Hindu guru and a self-styled "godman"[2] (a charismatic religious figure who claims to perform the miraculous). Following charges of rape and abduction filed in Indian courts, Nithyananda fled India and has remained in hiding since 2019.[3] He is the subject of a court-issued non-bailable warrant relating to the allegations.[4][5] Nithyananda is also wanted since 2019 for unrelated fraud charges in France.[6]
He is the founder of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, a trust that owns temples, gurukulas, and ashrams in many countries. A number of mainstream news outlets, inside and outside India,[7][2][8][9][10][11][12][13] and a TV documentary series on Disney+[14] have referred to the organisation as a cult, its leader as a conman,[15][8][16] and his micronation of Kailaasa a scam;[7][16] his organization has denied any wrongdoing.[16]
In 2020, he announced the founding of his own self-proclaimed island nation called Kailaasa,[17][18] though some evidence suggests he had been promoting the idea for around 20 years.[7]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
sakwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Sawer, Patrick; Joshi, Poonam (11 December 2022). "Work of cult leader wanted by Indian police promoted in Houses of Parliament Diwali pamphlet". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Paraguay official resigns after signing agreement with fictional country". AP News. Associated Press. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Karnataka Bengaluru Highlights: Non-bailable warrant against controversial godman Nithyananda". The Indian Express. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Karnataka: Court issues non-bailable warrant against Nithyananda". The Siasat Daily. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Pandey, Munish Chandra (5 December 2019). "Now, French govt launches fraud investigation against rape-accused Nithyananda". India Today. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Stieb, Matt (23 March 2023). "How a Fake Hindu Nation Scammed Its Way Across America". "Intelligencer" department. New York. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ a b Pundir, Pallavi (24 March 2023). "This Fake Country Is Run by a Guru Accused of Rape. How Did It End Up at the UN?". Vice. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Story of Swami Nityananda: From founding fake country Kailasa to entering UN, here's how he conned 30 US cities". Daily News and Analysis. Noida, Uttar Pradesh. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Aitken, Peter (2 December 2023). "South American official fired after signing agreement with country made up by Indian 'holy' conman". Fox News. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Gowda, Varsha (17 June 2022). "Rise and fall of a controversial Godman". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ "Foreign ex-devotees raise the banner of revolt against godman Nithyananda". Deccan Chronicle. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Creitz, Charles (19 March 2023). "Politicians, cities forging ties with fake Hindu cult leader reveals pitfalls of 'inclusivity': Buck Sexton". Fox News. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Singh, Suhani (9 June 2022). "How documentary series 'My Daughter Joined a Cult' shines a light on India's obsession with godmen". India Today. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Medeiros, Dan (17 March 2023). "Fall River gave 'official proclamation' to Indian scammer guru who invented a fake country". The Herald News. Fall River, Massachusetts. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "Nithyananda's Fake Nation 'Kailasa' Duped 30 US Cities With 'Cultural' Agreements: Report". Outlook. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ "Nithyananda has fled India: Gujarat Police". The Hindu. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Kumar, Ankit (21 August 2020). "Exclusive: Behind Nithyananda's Kailaasa empire, a hidden maze of companies and NGOs". India Today. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
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