Swami Nithyananda

Swami Nithyananda, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Swami Nithyananda (also known as Paramahamsa Nithyananda, born 1 January 1978) is a spiritual master, mystic[4] and the founder of Dhyanapeetam, a worldwide movement for meditation, based in Bengaluru, India.[5] He rose to fame after his series Kadavai Thira, Kattru Varattum (Open the door and let the breeze in)[6][7] was published in the widely circulated Tamil weekly, and due to the popularity of his spiritual healing processes. Nithyananda Swami has a huge following in southern India and his mission has branches in several countries, including the US and Europe.[8] His followers and acquaintances have included a number of high profile politicians such as Narendra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat,[9] and B.S.Yeddyurappa, the former chief minister of Karnataka,[10] and famous actors from the Indian film industry such as Vivek Oberoi,[11] Juhi Chawla[12] and Ranjitha.[13] In April 2010, Nithyananda was arrested after failing to answer bail for criminal charges including rape, after a video surfaced showing him in a compromising situation with a woman. Later cases that followed include charges of defamation of Tamil culture and acts to insult Hinduism.[6] In June 2010 he was released on bail. In 2012, Swami Nithyananda was named by Watkins' Mind Body Spirit magazine as one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people in the world.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Teachings
3 Life Bliss Foundation
4 Awards and honours
5 Controversy
6 Works
7 References
8 External links
Biography

Nithyananda was born as Rajasekaran in January 1978[14] in the spiritual town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. According to unverified information gathered from the public domain, he claims to have experimented with Yoga, Vedanta, Siddha, Tantra and other eastern metaphysical concepts taught by his mentors Raghupati Yogi,[14] Kuppammal, Annamalai Swami and others.[1]
In 2003 he began an ashram or spiritual centre, Dhyanapeetam, in Bidadi near the city of Bengaluru in south India and the US branch named the Life Bliss Foundation, headquartered in Los Angeles.[9]
Teachings

Swami Nithyananda's teachings are aligned with the Advaitic school of thought of Sri Adi Shankara. He defines living enlightenment in terms of living a conflict-free life.[15] He is known for his spiritual discourses[10] and has given teachings on scriptures such as the Brahma Sutras, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Shiva Sutras, Jain Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita.
Life Bliss Foundation

Swami Nithyananda has developed a range of meditation courses, catering to a cross section of people,[9] which he teaches at his centres and in public programmes. He has followers across the world and runs a number of ashrams in India and abroad.[16] The mission claims to run more than 1000 spiritual centres and temples worldwide with the main ones being in Bidadi, Thiruvannamalai and Los Angeles. Since 2003, Nithyananda's following has grown rapidly, mainly in south India and the US.[8] At the time of his arrest, NDTV speculated that he had about two million followers worldwide,[17] while his website puts this number at ten million.[1]
Awards and honours



Swami Nityananda banner in Bangalore in 2008.
In 2007, he was elected chairman of the Hindu University of America, also known as the International Vedic Hindu University, an institution in the U.S. state of Florida.[18]
In 2012, Paramahamsa Nithyananda featured in the Watkins' list of the top 100 most spiritually influential living people in the world.[2]
In April 2011 appointed 293rd head of Madurai Adheenam. In October 2012 removed as head.
In Feb 2013 during the Maha Kumbh Mela, Swami Nithyananda was bestowed the title of Mahamandaleshwar by the Maha Nirvani Akhada one of the oldest Akhada or sect of holy renunciates and one of the main organizers of the Kumbh Mela. This exclusive tile is given to those saints who are believed to have attained godly qualities.[3]
Controversy

See also: Nityananda sex scandal
A video that claimed to show Nithyananada hugging and kissing a sari-clad woman on his bed, allegedly Tamil film actress Ranjitha,[19] was broadcast on the Tamil television channel Sun News on 2 March 2010. After release of the video, Bidadi police registered cases under various IPC sections including -376 (rape), -377 (unnatural sex), -120B (criminal conspiracy), -506 (threat to life) and -420 (cheating).[20] Later cases that followed include charges of defamation of Tamil culture and acts to insult Hinduism.[6] This incident also resulted in protests outside the ashram during which a fire broke out. While the channels stand by their claim that the film clip is original, Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam's website insists that the videos are morphed and defamatory in nature. On March 4, Nithyananda made an application to a civil court in Chennai, seeking an injunction blocking further broadcasting of the video material.[21]
After evading summons for 49 days, Nithyananda was arrested on April 21, 2010 in Arki in Himachal Pradesh by Bangalore Police with the help of the police of Himachal[22] and the interrogation was done in Bangalore by the CID of the Bangalore Police.[23] On 11 June 2010 Nithyananda was granted bail, and was released from judicial custody after 52 days in Ramanagaram sub-jail. In October 2010, the releaser of the video who worked as Nithyananda's driver was charged by Bidadi police under several sections of the IPC with accusations of defaming Nithyananda through distributing the video.[24][25] Subsequently, in July 2011, Nithyananda's ashram filed a complaint against Sun TV Network, claiming they were the agents behind what the ashram alleged was a morphed video and the repeated telecasting of it.[26] Zee News later listed this episode in the top five sex-scandals in India.[27] Other television channels, including NDTV, have cited volunteers who have reported on rampant abuse of alcohol and sex at Nithyananda's Bidadi ashram.[28]
On 5 June 2012, an American NRI woman accused Nithyananda of sexual harassment.[29] The ashram held a press conference, and there was an altercation between ashram workers and the reporter of the media house Suvarna News. A few hours later there was an attack on the ashram by a local group. For reasons unclear, the Karnataka chief minister announced the cancellation of Nithyananda's bail and ordered the ashram sealed. On June 13, Nithyananda surrendered himself before a court in Ramanagaram. He was released on bail the next day and the ashram was unsealed a few days later.[29][30] In August 2012, after Nithyananda failed to appear for a court-directed sexual potency test, passports of him and 30 of his associates were seized at Delhi Airport. Following this event, widespread resentment of Nithyananda was reported at Madhurai Adheenam by various sections of the media.[31] In an another related episode, pursuing eye witness accounts alleging widespread usage of tiger pelts and elephant tusks within the ashram, Madurai police opened cases against Nithyananda under the Wildlife Protection Act.[32]
After allegations were levied by a US-based male disciple of sodomy and homsexual acts, additional cases were registered against Nithyananda for unnatural sex acts (IPC section 377).[33] In June 2012, a Hindu organization in Tamil Nadu filed another petition in Madurai court against Nithyanada alleging misuse of Madhurai Adheenam for practising immoral activities and for serving holy water laced with drugs.[34]
On October 12, 2012, Sri Arunagirinathar, the 292nd head of Madurai Adheenam, who had earlier anointed Nithyananda as his successor to the mutt[clarification needed] in April 2011, sacked him after pressure mounted from the state government and other Hindu religious and charitable organisations against his appointment. Following this decision, Sri Arunagirinathar sought police protection, citing threats to life from Nithyananda disciples.[35]