Bageshwar Dham Baba Alias Dhirendra Krishna Shastri: One More Fake Baba

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 24 January 2023 This Propensity to Believe In Fake Gurus Has Increased Manifold in Recent Times, Precisely Ever Since the Current Political Dispensation Came Into Power ------ It's really shameful that Bageshwar Dham Baba, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, is being shielded by political parties, leaders and other spurious (Hindu) Babas. This Chhatarpur-based uneducated rogue has legions of followers genuflecting before him. He does some occult tricks and mumbo-jumbo and the credulous people believe in his shenanigans. This propensity to believe in fake gurus has increased manifold in recent times, precisely ever since the current political dispensation came into power. Swiss author Erich Von Daniken, famous for his book ' Chariots of the Gods,' also wrote many perceptive essays on gurudom and cult-worship. One of his translated essays appeared in The Illustrated Weekly more than 50 years ago when the maverick Sardar Khushwant Singh was at the helm. It was on fake Babas. In that write up, he didn't focus only on fake Babas in Hinduism but also criticised the religious cult-leaders in all religions and why humans believe in them. Here's a passage from that banned essay - “Humans, regardless of their religious affiliations, have underdeveloped brains. To them, a guru or baba is a bridge between the gods and humans. Since Hindus have innumerable gods and they have a greater and stronger tendency to believe in fake Babas (as demi-gods) than the followers of other faiths do, it's natural that Hindus have always been in the grip of these sanctimonious gurus.” What Daniken wrote more than a half century ago is still very relevant. Here, a Yogacharya (read Ramdev) becomes a Baba, a rapist like Ram Rahim becomes guru to lakhs and crores of people, an English-speaking 'enlightened' soul, who's very fond of hi-end fancy bikes, is seen as a saviour of Hindu Dharm (sorry, Sanatan Dharm), an effeminate 'elite' Baba does some Rudra Pooja and talks like a woman. He has an army of fawning followers across the country and abroad, wherever there are Indians. While typing this piece out, I can hear shouts of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Ki Jay as his asinine followers (mostly, Marathas) are demanding that his birthday should be declared as Dharmveer Divas. Why? Because he fought against Muslims! He's now a demi-god to Hindu Marathas in Poona and Maharashtra. When becoming a demi-god or guru is so damn easy in this brainless country, no wonder, a rustic young man with a cunning mind from the hinterland of MP becomes a Bhagwan to scores of morons. Mind you, these gurus aren't at fault. Masses are to be blamed for being so gullible. So long as the majority of Indians continue to believe in these fake swamis, Babas and 'spiritual' gurus and take everything as a Chamatkaar (miracle), we shall remain in the penumbra of rank ignorance. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/bageshwar-dham-baba-fake/d/128950 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism