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'''Vishwananda''' (born '''Mahadeosingh 'Visham' Komalram''' in 1978),<ref name="Tagesspiegel"/> known to followers as '''Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda''', is a Hindu [[guru]] from [[Mauritius]]. He is the founder of the organisation [[Bhakti Marga (organisation)|Bhakti Marga]], a [[Neohinduism|neo-Hindu]] organization that has [[ashram]]s and temples in many countries. He lives in Germany, where his main ashram is in the small village of Springen ([[Heidenrod]]) in the [[Taunus]]. He teaches his own version of [[Kriya Yoga school|kriya yoga]] called ''Atma Kriya Yoga''.<ref name="ezw1">{{cite journal |first=Friedmann |last=Eißler |date=January 2020 |url=https://www.ezw-berlin.de/html/15_10383.php |title=Bhakti Marga in der Kritik |trans-title=Bhakti Marga in criticism |journal=Zeitschrift für Religion und Weltanschauung |trans-journal=Journal of Religion and Worldview |lang=de}}</ref> In 2015 he had already founded centres in over 40 countries and had more than 10.000 disciples.<ref name="toi" />
'''Vishwananda''' (born '''Mahadeosingh 'Visham' Komalram''' in 1978),<ref name="Tagesspiegel"/> known to followers as '''Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda''', is a Hindu [[guru]] from [[Mauritius]]. He is the founder of the organisation [[Bhakti Marga (organisation)|Bhakti Marga]], a [[Neohinduism|neo-Hindu]] organization that has [[ashram]]s and temples in many countries. He lives in Germany, where his main ashram is in the small village of Springen ([[Heidenrod]]) in the [[Taunus]]. He teaches his own version of [[Kriya Yoga school|kriya yoga]] called ''Atma Kriya Yoga''.<ref name="ezw1">{{cite journal |first=Friedmann |last=Eißler |date=January 2020 |url=https://www.ezw-berlin.de/html/15_10383.php |title=Bhakti Marga in der Kritik |trans-title=Bhakti Marga in criticism |journal=Zeitschrift für Religion und Weltanschauung |trans-journal=Journal of Religion and Worldview |lang=de}}</ref> By the end of 2022 Bhakti Marga had around 10,000 followers<ref name="focus"/> and between 30 to 50 ashrams worldwide.<ref name="faz"/>


== Life ==
== Life ==

Revision as of 23:08, 28 August 2023

Paramahamsa Sri Swami
Vishwananda
Personal
Born
Mahadeosingh Komalram

1978 (1978)
Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Mauritius
ReligionHinduism
SectNeo-Hinduism
Organization
Founder ofBhakti Marga
PhilosophyVishishtadvaita

Vishwananda (born Mahadeosingh 'Visham' Komalram in 1978),[1] known to followers as Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, is a Hindu guru from Mauritius. He is the founder of the organisation Bhakti Marga, a neo-Hindu organization that has ashrams and temples in many countries. He lives in Germany, where his main ashram is in the small village of Springen (Heidenrod) in the Taunus. He teaches his own version of kriya yoga called Atma Kriya Yoga.[2] By the end of 2022 Bhakti Marga had around 10,000 followers[3] and between 30 to 50 ashrams worldwide.[4]

Life

Vishwananda was born in 1978 into a Hindu family in Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Mauritius.[1][5]

He became[when?] a disciple of Sathya Sai Baba.[2] In 2015 he has been granted[when?] the title Mahamandaleshwara by Nirmohi Akhada, the first guru outside of India to be awarded the title.[2][6]

In 1998, he visited Europe for the first time, initially England and Switzerland.[4]

In July 2005, he established the organisation Bhakti Marga and founded its first ashram in Germany.[4] Vishwananda teaches his own version of kriya yoga called Atma Kriya Yoga.[2]

In June 2007, the Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger reported that Vishwananda stole relics from 25 churches and monasteries with the help of two women who were his disciples. According to the newspaper, Vishwananda said that he only wanted to save the relics from destruction in an imminent war of relics.[7] According to the managing director of Bhakti Marga, Swami Vishwananda has a previous conviction in Switzerland for disturbing the peace of the dead.[8]

In August 2023, Focus reported that Vishwananda, who had been previously consecrated as a Russian Orthodox priest, had maintained a Russian-Orthodox-style chapel in Springen, even after he had been excommunicated.[3]

Allegations made by Hessischer Rundfunk

In a January 2022 television and podcast documentary by Hessischer Rundfunk, the German state of Hesse's public broadcasting corporation, several alleged victims were interviewed and Vishwananda was accused of sexual abuse.[9][10] In response, Bhakti Marga filed suit against Hessischer Rundfunk in Hamburg Regional Court for false reporting in a TV and podcast production.[11] Vishwananda denied all allegations of sexual transgressions, filing an affidavit at the court through his lawyer.[12]

After a thorough examination, the Hamburg Regional Court came to the conclusion that numerous statements containing the core allegation of alleged sexual abuse were procedurally untrue and therefore inadmissible. These statements were also ruled not permissible as statements of suspicion.[11] Seven provisional injunctions were issued by the district Court of Hamburg in March 2022 which prohibited public allegations of sexual misconduct against Vishwananda as had been widely misreported by major German newspapers.[10][9]

Personal life

At the turn of the century, Vishwananda married.[to whom?][1]

Selected books

  • Vishwananda, S. S. (2012). Just Love: The Essence of Everything. Bhakti Event Gmbh. ISBN 978-3940381194.
  • Vishwananda, P. S. S. (2019). Bhagavad Gita Essentials. Bhakti Marga Publications. ISBN 978-3963430473.
  • Vishwananda, P. S. S. (2023). Nārada-bhakti-sūtra: Commentary on the Perfection of Devotion. Bhakti Marga Publications. ISBN 978-3963430985.

References

  1. ^ a b c Leber, Sebastian (December 2, 2022). "Umstrittene Sekte „Bhakti Marga": Der Wunderguru aus dem Taunus" [Controversial sect "Bhakti Marga": The miracle guru from the Taunus]. Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Eißler, Friedmann (January 2020). "Bhakti Marga in der Kritik" [Bhakti Marga in criticism]. Zeitschrift für Religion und Weltanschauung [Journal of Religion and Worldview] (in German).
  3. ^ a b Focus-Online staff (19 August 2023). "Mitten im Taunus baut Hindu-Guru via Tiktok seine Sekte auf" [In the middle of the Taunus, the Hindu guru is building up his sect via Tiktok]. Focus-Online. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Maus, Robert (10 September 2018). "Der Ashram im Taunus" [Ashram in Taunus]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
  5. ^ Sri-Swami-Vishwananda website staff (April 11, 2004). "About Swami". Sri Swami Vishwananda. Archived from the original on 2004-04-11.
  6. ^ Sarkar, Sumita (September 18, 2015). "Swami Vishwananda becomes first Mahamandaleshwar from outside the country". Times of India.
  7. ^ Hohler, Stefan (June 15, 2007). "Knochen in Kirchen gestohlen" [Stealing of bones in churches]. Tagesanzeiger (in German). Archived from the original on 2010-11-08.
  8. ^ Lokalo.de staff (20 November 2020). "Liebes-Guru kauft Seepark Kirchheim" [Love guru buys Seepark Kirchheim]. Lokalo.de (in German). Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  9. ^ a b Hülsen, Isabell (8 April 2022). "Mann wird zum Missbrauchsopfer erklärt" [Man has been declared abuse case]. Der Spiegel. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  10. ^ a b von Blazekovic, Aurelie (8 April 2022). "Ein Guru vor Gericht" [A guru at court]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Moser, Irle (11 April 2022). "Hat der Hessische Rundfunk ein Sorgfaltsproblem?" [Does Hessischer Rundfunk have a due diligence problem?]. Frankfurter Rundschau. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  12. ^ Vishwananda, Paramahamsa (27 January 2022). "Paramahamsa Vishwanandas Stellungnahme zur jüngsten Fernsehsendung des Hessischen Rundfunks" [Statement by Paramahamsa Vishwananda regarding the recent broadcast by the HR]. Bhakti Marga (in German). Retrieved January 25, 2022.

Further reading

  • Haigh, Martin J. (2022). "Geogpraphical Spread of Hindu Religion and Culture into the West". In Singh, R. S. (ed.). Practising Cultural Geographies: Essays in Honour of Rana P. B. Singh. Singapore: Springer Nature. pp. 224ff. ISBN 978-9811664151.
  • Hawley, J. S. (2020). Krishna's Playground: Vrindavan in the 21st Century. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0190123987.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vishwananda&oldid=1172729790"