nishantrathi82
New member
Here are some intresting facts about Asaram(Asumal Thaumal Harpalani) i am not going to call him Bapu.
He was a mechanic in a cycle shop at Ahmedabad for decades ago, now having a empire of more than 5000 crores.The godman's beginnings were humble. A non-matriculate, Bapu was born in Birani village near Nawabshah in Pakistan's Sindh province before Partition forced his father Thaumal to flee to Ahmedabad when Bapu was seven years old.
His empire includes hundreds of acres of land in prime locations in India's major cities, a flourishing business of over two dozen products that includes a clutch of ayurvedic medicines, incense sticks, soaps and shampoos besides spiritual magazines that net crores of rupees for him annually.
Fear and violence have been Bapu's hallmark, as the attack on reporters and others displayed. His diktat is enforced by his sadhaks (disciples), some of whom have also borne the brunt of his ire when they dared speak against some questionable activities in the ashram. They were terrorised and beaten up by their own fellowmen.
The latest to be hunted out of the Ahmedabad ashram is Dinesh Bhagchandani, 32, Bapu's former driver and man Friday. He was charged with "indecent behaviour" with a sadhika (female disciple), an allegation his friends deny. Fearing for his life, Bhagchandani has fled Ahmedabad.
More than the fear factor is the money power the guru commands. Most of the controversies involving him relate to land deals across the country involving the ashram, which has 100 major centres located on huge tracts of land besides 1,200 satsang kendras.
One of the newest imbroglio involves over 30 acres of land in Surat worth around Rs 125 crore. Bapu's disciples have encroached upon a part of government land on the banks of the Tapi river.
The original owner from whom the Government had bought the land has moved the court pleading that if the Government's objective of making an embankment was not accomplished and someone else is the current owner, the land should be returned to him. Incidentally, land grabbing is one of the more serious charges that Bapu faces.
Another huge chunk of agriculture land bought five years ago by Bapu and his family members—his wife Lakshmiben, son Narayan, daughter Bharati and daughter-in-law Shilpa—in Pedmala in Sabarkantha district is also entangled in a legal wrangle.
"Even Bapu's 15-acre Ahmedabad ashram is clouded in controversy because the gurukul building on its premises is illegal. Not just that, the ashram land at Karol Bagh in Delhi and the 25-acre proposed ashram in Rajokri village near Delhi are also wrapped in court cases. We have had a very bad experience from Bapu's disciples," says Ohmvir Singh Chauhan, thakur of Panched near Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh.
Bapu's business empire rests on the sale of over two dozen products across his satsang centres and other facilities. Insiders allege that ashram authorities manipulate records to avoid paying taxes.
The magazines—Rushiprasad, a monthly in several languages, and the fortnightly Lok Kalyan Setu, sell 14 lakh copies every month, netting around Rs 7.50 crore annually.
But the bigger grossers are the 50-odd satsang discourses Bapu delivers to his followers. Each two or three-day discourse nets Rs 1 crore via sales of associated products and what he gets from the organisers.
The biggest money spinners, however, are the three to four annual Gurupurnima functions during which Bapu receives donations running into crores of rupees. As Mayawati says that she receives crores of rupees from her followers.
Another major sentence of his book called 'Gurubhakti', the book exhorts his followers to never question the guru, whether he is right or wrong.Wow what kind of lessons he gives sounds great.
He is dealing greatly with all intelligent and educated people, he knows how to tackle the people no doubt he is sharp or we are................?
Want to read more here is link http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/i...d=64§ionid=36&latn=2&limit=1&limitstart=0
He was a mechanic in a cycle shop at Ahmedabad for decades ago, now having a empire of more than 5000 crores.The godman's beginnings were humble. A non-matriculate, Bapu was born in Birani village near Nawabshah in Pakistan's Sindh province before Partition forced his father Thaumal to flee to Ahmedabad when Bapu was seven years old.
His empire includes hundreds of acres of land in prime locations in India's major cities, a flourishing business of over two dozen products that includes a clutch of ayurvedic medicines, incense sticks, soaps and shampoos besides spiritual magazines that net crores of rupees for him annually.
Fear and violence have been Bapu's hallmark, as the attack on reporters and others displayed. His diktat is enforced by his sadhaks (disciples), some of whom have also borne the brunt of his ire when they dared speak against some questionable activities in the ashram. They were terrorised and beaten up by their own fellowmen.
The latest to be hunted out of the Ahmedabad ashram is Dinesh Bhagchandani, 32, Bapu's former driver and man Friday. He was charged with "indecent behaviour" with a sadhika (female disciple), an allegation his friends deny. Fearing for his life, Bhagchandani has fled Ahmedabad.
More than the fear factor is the money power the guru commands. Most of the controversies involving him relate to land deals across the country involving the ashram, which has 100 major centres located on huge tracts of land besides 1,200 satsang kendras.
One of the newest imbroglio involves over 30 acres of land in Surat worth around Rs 125 crore. Bapu's disciples have encroached upon a part of government land on the banks of the Tapi river.
The original owner from whom the Government had bought the land has moved the court pleading that if the Government's objective of making an embankment was not accomplished and someone else is the current owner, the land should be returned to him. Incidentally, land grabbing is one of the more serious charges that Bapu faces.
Another huge chunk of agriculture land bought five years ago by Bapu and his family members—his wife Lakshmiben, son Narayan, daughter Bharati and daughter-in-law Shilpa—in Pedmala in Sabarkantha district is also entangled in a legal wrangle.
"Even Bapu's 15-acre Ahmedabad ashram is clouded in controversy because the gurukul building on its premises is illegal. Not just that, the ashram land at Karol Bagh in Delhi and the 25-acre proposed ashram in Rajokri village near Delhi are also wrapped in court cases. We have had a very bad experience from Bapu's disciples," says Ohmvir Singh Chauhan, thakur of Panched near Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh.
Bapu's business empire rests on the sale of over two dozen products across his satsang centres and other facilities. Insiders allege that ashram authorities manipulate records to avoid paying taxes.
The magazines—Rushiprasad, a monthly in several languages, and the fortnightly Lok Kalyan Setu, sell 14 lakh copies every month, netting around Rs 7.50 crore annually.
But the bigger grossers are the 50-odd satsang discourses Bapu delivers to his followers. Each two or three-day discourse nets Rs 1 crore via sales of associated products and what he gets from the organisers.
The biggest money spinners, however, are the three to four annual Gurupurnima functions during which Bapu receives donations running into crores of rupees. As Mayawati says that she receives crores of rupees from her followers.
Another major sentence of his book called 'Gurubhakti', the book exhorts his followers to never question the guru, whether he is right or wrong.Wow what kind of lessons he gives sounds great.
He is dealing greatly with all intelligent and educated people, he knows how to tackle the people no doubt he is sharp or we are................?
Want to read more here is link http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/i...d=64§ionid=36&latn=2&limit=1&limitstart=0