A hoarding featuring an image of Indian spiritual leader Ashutosh Maharaj stands outside the Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan in Nurmahal on the outskirts of Jalandhar on March 11, 2014. PHOTO: AFP
CHANDIGARH: An Indian guru declared dead has been in a deep freezer in his ashram for nearly six weeks with followers confident he will return to life to lead them, his spokesperson said.
Devotees placed Ashutosh Maharaj, whom authorities declared clinically dead on January 29, in the freezer and have been watching over his body in the sprawling ashram in a small town in northern Punjab state.
Maharaj, reportedly in his 70s, is one of India's many gurus or god-men who headed the Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan (Divine Light Awakening Mission) and claims to have millions of followers around the world.
Mission spokesperson Swami Vishalanand insisted their leader was not dead but was in fact in a state of samadhi, the highest level of meditation, and was therefore still conscious.
Vishalanand told AFP that followers were now waiting for him to end his meditation. Until then, the ashram in Nurmahal town would stay open with followers performing their own mediations and spiritual sessions.
"Mahara-ji (a Hindi term of respect) is still sending messages through followers in their meditative stage to protect his body till he returns," he said earlier this week.
The decision to place him in the freezer was challenged in court by a man claiming to be his former driver, who alleged several followers were not releasing the body as they were seeking a share of the guru's properties, local media reports said.
But the court rejected the man's petition after receiving information from authorities confirming his death, reportedly from a heart attack, said Reeta Kohli, additional advocate general of Punjab state.
"The court rejected his pleas after the Punjab government said that the man is clinically dead and that it is up to his followers to decide what they want to do with the body," Kohli told AFP.
Senior district police officer Gurinder Singh Dhillon said police "cannot interfere" now that the court has made its ruling.
Maharaj's website, which says the mission was founded in 1983 and has spiritual centres around the world, has thanked its followers for standing by the mission while the guru undertakes his meditation.
Vishalanand said scores of spiritual leaders throughout history have traveled to the Himalayas for months of samadhi in freezing temperatures, before returning to life.
Another spokesperson, who heads a nearby village where many of Maharaj's followers are living, has told local media that they will simply wait.
"When we close our eyes, we can talk to the Maharaj, who has assured us he will come back," Lakhwinder Singh told the Indian Express newspaper.
COMMENTS (14)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
man, body soul connection, unbelievable stories of flying horses and mules, super powers, there was a time when most of the people could be made fool but now its not like what it used to be. now people demand proofs if no proof you are a laughing stock, either you claim to bring people from dead to living or cure something by touching. these all things are good for fantasy stories.
@Tani: perhaps those wierd things attract so many tourists which are nowhere in pakistan.... those wierd things still better than boom boom
@ria: Yep, sad because our fellow neighbors and their friends living in the 'Middle east' of the town were drastically killing men in the name of god, while all the while this guru and thousands (Except few bad apples) others were busy sending peace's message.
@kashmiri can't agree more...true..all sort of weird things happen here. Lol
@ria Pleasee Hinduism has got nothing to do with this thug.... Person claiming to do magic,making fool out of people to earn millions is new business trend of these fake babas. ull find this trend in all religion here..they are competing against each other who makes best fools out of people.... It's easy to make money in name of religion and godmen..given the people are highly religious and superstitious...give them false hope,cures to diseases,material gains,success to illiterate,poor,sick people and you get them hooked to this nonsense of babaism...utterly disgusting...need strong anti baba law now.. ET publish this..u seem to censor comment for no reason.
@Kashmiri: yes and u r not welcome.... ( i m assuming u r pro independence)
This is India.
hehehe.... hinduism.....love it :).. love its beliefs.... love the spiritual connect....simply awesome...... babaji ka pyaar.... but one day they would have to face the reality..sad :(
Guess his blessed soul missed a turn on the spiritual highway!
There is no breathing which can only mean his physical body is dead, Soul being eternal cannot die. Sure the Maharaj may still communicate with disciples because communication between souls does not suffer from physical barriers. Retaining the body is a wasteful exercise because even if he is reincarnated he cannot come back into a dead body -- he like others souls will need to be reborn. These guys are very confused and their knowledge about journey of the Soul conveys they are confused.