Leveraging their spiritual appeal across a growing global base of devotees, Indian gurus and “godmen,” a particular type of charismatic ascetic, are belying their poverty-stricken image to climb onto the commercial bandwagon to get rich.
Some Indian spiritual leaders have long been accustomed to luxury. The Maharhishi Mahesh Yogi, guru to the Beatles and a long list of over celebrities, built a vast organization whose US assets alone were estimated at US$300 million and loved to be seen traveling in his fleet of Rolls-Royce sedans.
But the numbers of spiritualists who have forsaken simplicity and poverty to cater to a burgeoning domestic and international clientele is growing, setting up corporate empires that profit off a population faced with stress, alienation and lifestyle disorders, packaging and selling their goods in ways that resonate with modern consumers.
There appears to be no escaping India’s crowded spiritual supermarket. From ayurvedic therapies, (a system of healing that originated in ancient India), personal care and packaged food items, ayurvedic elixirs to slippers, yoga mats, spiritual music, meditation books, self-help guides and mind-healing workshops, there are plentiful offerings in this Instant Nirvana bazaar. Full story...
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Some Indian spiritual leaders have long been accustomed to luxury. The Maharhishi Mahesh Yogi, guru to the Beatles and a long list of over celebrities, built a vast organization whose US assets alone were estimated at US$300 million and loved to be seen traveling in his fleet of Rolls-Royce sedans.
But the numbers of spiritualists who have forsaken simplicity and poverty to cater to a burgeoning domestic and international clientele is growing, setting up corporate empires that profit off a population faced with stress, alienation and lifestyle disorders, packaging and selling their goods in ways that resonate with modern consumers.
There appears to be no escaping India’s crowded spiritual supermarket. From ayurvedic therapies, (a system of healing that originated in ancient India), personal care and packaged food items, ayurvedic elixirs to slippers, yoga mats, spiritual music, meditation books, self-help guides and mind-healing workshops, there are plentiful offerings in this Instant Nirvana bazaar. Full story...
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