Nithyananda sacked as successor of Madurai Mutt head

Self styled godman Nithyananda , who is embroiled in several controversies and facing criminal charges including rape, was on Friday removed as the successor of the mutt head of Madurai Aadheenam, a 1500- year-old Saivite mutt.
The appointment of the self-styled godman hailing from

Karnataka one and half years ago as the successor of the Madurai Aadheenam head Arunagirinatha Desikar was widely condemned by Hindu religious bodies and even the government.

A terse announcement removing Nithyananda from the Aadheenam was made by Desikar in a brief interaction with the media in the temple town of Madurai.
The sacking of Nithyananda came a day after the government’s Hindu religious and charitable endowment department moved a local court in Madurai seeking the removal of Desikar himself for making the appointment that it alleged violated the traditions of the possibly oldest Saivite mutt in the country.
When asked why the person whom he had appointed was removed, Desikar said “you know better.”
He also told media persons that fearing for his life, he had sought police protection as he faced threats from Nittyananda’s disciples.
The appointment of Nithyananda as the successor to the Madurai Mutt head Desikar had shocked the people and the leaders of religious bodies that condemned the development and questioned as to how a man facing serious criminal charges, including rape could even be considered for holding such a high position in a prestigious and respected religious body.
In a related development, the Madras high court on Friday reserved its orders on a bunch of petitions praying for Nithyananda’s removal. 

 http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Chennai/Nithyananda-sacked-as-successor-of-Madurai-Mutt-head/Article1-947454.aspx

The cult of preying and feeding on anxieties

The man who passed himself off as Paramahamsa Nithyananda for seven years, promised instant spirituality to hundreds, perhaps even thousands, across India and abroad.
It might be too early to brand Nithyananda as a conman, but what is emerging is that he is a psychopath who exploited people’s credulity and played on the minds of youthful devotees who, before joining his cultic order, might have demonstrated symptoms of psychic distress, anxiety, depression, apathy, disinterest, meaninglessness, isolation, social alienation and confusion. As a normative social system, Nithyananda’s cultic order is an alternative healing mechanism for the existential crises of contemporary youth.

Nithyananda, of course, is no paramahamsa. He is an ordinary man who was intelligent enough to capitalise on his youthful disciples’ loss of faith in the “rationalistic western cosmology and loss of the extended family system,” as sociologist Mansell Pattison has pointed out. But Nithyananda also tapped into the dissatisfaction caused by the impact of the prevailing economic paradigm which has created stress and anxiety, especially among those in the 30-40 age group whose members may have deliberately turned away from traditional psychotherapies toward his religious cult as the ultimate remedy for their anxieties.

These young men and women found in him and his cult — which is a strange and often frightening mix of the Vedic and tantric with an attractive and appealing focus on phallus worship — the path to physical and spiritual healing. What might also have appealed to the devotees was the stress on mental seduction and enslavement or mind control, so much so that they were prepared to abandon family, loved ones and well-wishers.

Some psychologists and sociologists agree that intensive conditioning (or brainwashing) is designed to compromise the devotees’ psychological integrity and indoctrinate them in a world view in which the ends (salvation, bliss and even personal health and wealth) justify the means (deceptive recruitment, fraudulent fund-raising and psycho-sexual practices).

The rest of Nithyananda’s so-called spiritual and healing prowess was built by aggressive and purposeful public relations directed not at the poor from our urban ghettos or despoiled rural backwaters. Rather, these are middle class, affluent, educated, and sophisticated youth. A network of branch heads in some southern Indian cities and those in the United States, mostly non-resident Indians with deep pockets helped Nithyananda catapult to spiritual stardom. It would not be out of place to point out here that the website of one of Nithyananda’s subsidiary organisations in US suggests that more than a spiritual enterprise the Nithyananda mission is commercial enterprise.

Brief interviews with some of Nithyananda’s disciples at his ashram near Bangalore and over telephone, with the primary question “what drew you to his order?,” elicited confused response. Emails from followers in support of Nithyananda were also important sources to understand what attracted the youth to his alternative spiritual system that offered a radical world view in distinction from the common culture, with explicit sanctions in regard to one’s behaviour, with a strong emphasis on separatism from the ‘world at large’ that is reflected in some degree of small group communality ranging from total communal living to frequent communal gatherings.

Beliefs
The standard replies typically comprised two strains of belief: a) he helped heal their physical ailments and psychological distress and b) we experienced truth and enlightenment, two very abstract concepts that souls far greater and intellectual than ‘Nithyananda, our Master’ have not been able to fathom within the context of Indian philosophy.

The likes of Osho Rajneesh, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Satya Sai Baba, Ma Amritanandamayi, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar and sundry other self-proclaimed television-propelled godmen have, in their own distinctive styles, tried to peddle Indian spirituality, with their base and esoteric twists, to a gullible audience within India and abroad.

They have met with varied levels of successes and then faded away as the spiritual ferment, shaped in large part by globalisation and television, spawned other unconventional, secretive and deviant cult movements. They were sought to be given legitimacy and acceptability within society by obtaining the crucial backing of political parties and enlisting the support of the rich and the powerful, an approach that has almost always benefited the organisations in more ways than one.

But such groups have often elicited extreme hostility and distrust and have, moreover, been perceived as fundamentally subversive of civil order and the ideals of Hinduism. To some extent, part of the popular uproar about cult groups such as Nithyananda’s comes from bewildered, frightened and angry parents and other elders who cannot comprehend why the youth, otherwise socialised into the mainstream of society with many seeming advantages, should abandon their cultural and religious heritage to enter such ‘separate reality.’

The Nithyananda cult operated as a surrogate extended family and provided novel, if questionable, therapeutic and spiritual alternatives that confer meaning on individual lives and experiences, even if the devotees were deluded into believing so because of their existential vacuum. In doing so, he and some of his close confidantes exploited the weaknesses of existing institutions like Hinduism, family and modern psychiatry.

This is not to say that cults necessarily threaten the social order. After all, people are at liberty to exercise their preference for one religious movement for another. But what may endanger society is the return to obscurantism, superstition and blind faith that once constituted the bane of India.

 A study of Nithyananda’s cultic order — the reference to an ‘energised banyan tree’ and ‘energised puja items,’ besides a host of weird teaching practices that go toward deification of the occult — indicates that its devotees, drunk on their ‘sadguru,’ their ‘Enlightened Master’ of merely seven years’ experience, should exercise some caution in distinguishing between the truly pious and the charlatan.

 http://www.deccanherald.com/content/57807/cult-preying-feeding-anxieties.html

TN GOVERNMENT FILED EMERNGENCY PETITION TO TAKE OVER MADURAI ADHEENAM

TN Government filed emergency petition in Madurai Court seeking order to take over Madurai Adheenam. 

Govt has also filed a petition objecting to Nithyananda's appointment as 293rd pontiff of Madurai Adheenam. Judgment is expected tomorrow (19th Oct)

மதுரை ஆதீன மடத்தை அரசிடம் ஒப்படைக்க வேண்டும்: இந்து அறநிலையத்துறை அவசர மனு தாக்கல்
 வியாழக்கிழமை, அக்டோபர் 18, 10:16 PM IST

மதுரை,அக்.18-

 

மதுரை ஆதீன மடத்தின் இளைய ஆதீனமாக நித்யானந்தாவை நியமித்தற்கு தொடர்ந்து எதிர்ப்பு வலுத்து வருகிறது. இந்த நியமனம் செல்லாது என்று மதுரையைச் சேர்ந்த சிலர் வழக்கு தொடர்ந்துள்ளனர்.

 

இதுதொடர்பான வழக்கு விசாரணையின்போது, நித்யானந்தாவுக்கு ஆதீன பொறுப்பு வகிக்க தகுதியில்லை என்று தமிழக அரசு உயர்நீதிமன்றத்தில் கூறியிருந்தது. மேலும் நித்யானந்தா நியமனம் செல்லாது என்றும் தமிழக அரசு கூறியிருந்தது.

 

இந்நிலையில், மதுரை மாவட்ட நீதிமன்றத்தில் இந்து அறநிலையத்துறை ஆணையர் தனபால் ஒரு அவரசர மனு தாக்கல் செய்தார். அதில், அறநிலையத்துறை அனுமதியின்றி நித்யானந்தா நியமிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார். எனவே அவரது நியமனம் செல்லாது.

 

மேலும் மதுரை ஆதீன மடத்தை தமிழக அரசே ஏற்று நடத்த உத்தரவிட வேண்டும் என்று கூறப்பட்டிருந்தது. இந்த மனு நாளை விசாரணைக்கு வருகிறது. இதற்கிடையே எதிர்ப்புகள் அதிகரித்திருப்பதால் இளைய ஆதீனம் பொறுப்பில் இருந்து விலகுவதற்கு நித்யானந்தா முடிவு செய்திருப்பதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது. 

 

 

 

 

Aarthi Rao responds to Nithyananda's Latest Allegations

    It is known that Swami Nithyananda, the self styled godman is facing criminal charges of Rape in CC No. 204/2010, in which Aarthi Rao is a victim and key witness. In retaliation Nithyananda has filed several criminal cases against Aarthi Rao and the whistle blower Lenin, through his blind followers. In the criminal rape case Nithyananda has to undergo required medical exam, for which he had received eight summons from Karnataka CB CID and finally a court order from Ramanagar court. However Nithyananda has cleverly evaded all demands for his medical tests, while claiming to be like a 6-year old child, incapable of sex. But in the meantime he is trying to confuse the public and humiliate & intimidate the victim Aarthi Rao through several tactics. 

Most recently, Nithyananda has published some documents, claiming them to be Aarthi Rao’s medical records from USA. Nithyananda alleges that the documents prove that Aarthi suffers from Sexually Transmitted Diseases while a test proves Nithyananda doesn’t suffer from the same disease, and therefore Nithyananda is innocent! Nithyananda’s lies and fraudulent manipulation is exposed once again if the documents are examined closely.

Fake Court Order Exposed – No Basis for Medical Record: 

Nithyananda claims to have obtained Aarthi’s medical records from USA through a court order in Michigan, USA. Here are some basic facts about medical records in USA:

·         Aarthi Rao’s Medical Report in the USA would be subject to very strict confidentiality laws of USA. 

·         Hence, as per US laws, no one can obtain it without her consent. Not even her husband can get it without her consent.

·         Even when it is demanded through a court order, US laws require that she must be informed about such a petition (about releasing her medical records). 

This is the legal procedure followed very strictly in the USA. Let us look at the so-called court order Nithyananda obtained, which he claims was used to get Aarthi’s medical records.

1.       No defendant: The court notice shows that there is no defendant named (i.e. Aarthi Rao), and the opposite party has not been informed. 

·         As per the instructions on the same document, incomplete form is not valid.

·         Aarthi Rao  never received any summon for a petition by Nithyananda regarding  her medical records. (her contact information is already available with Ann Arbour police) 

2.       No judge signature: The court order is NOT signed by the Judge!

3.       Incorrect court seal: The hearing is claimed to have taken place in Washtenaw County Trial court and signed by the Trial Court judge. But the seal in the “Subpoena” is from Michigan Supreme Court!

4.       No legal basis for USA court order: Nithyananda’s petition claims it was in connection with a complaint filed by Aarthi with Ann Arbor police. 

Aarthi Rao’s complaint with Ann Arbor police is only for life threat. Police has NO NEED for her Medical Records to Investigate a life threat complaint.

There are several such serious questions about the so-called court order, which is clearly fake, therefore the medical records cannot be authentic. This once again brings out the cunning mischief of Nithyanada and his henchmen, who will face the consequences for this! Aarthi’s lawyer has issued defamation notices and will take further action for such unethical and illegal actions of Nithyananda and his group.

Nithyananda’s Bogus Medical Test Exposed:

Now coming to  Nithyananda’s one-page Medical Test report, he claims this 1 page report proves his sexual history of celibacy. But there are several questions arising from the following critical observations, clearly pointing out the lack of authenticity of his test result. 

1.       Whose blood sample was actually tested? Basic identification details are missing or wrong on the test report!

Name (Nithyanandji Swami) doesn’t match legal name (Sri Nithyananda Swami in passport)

date of birth shown (02-09-1978) doesn’t match legal date of birth (13-03-1977 in passport) or even his publicized DOB 1-1-1978!

No address provided

No father’s name provided 

2.  Why no Hospital Stamp or Seal on the report?

3.  Report shows ONLY Herpes result. Why no test results for  other 8-9 Sexually Transmitted Diseases?

4.   Test taken only on September 2012. Where is the complete medical history from 2004 – 2012? What about Nithyananda’s tests and treatments for STDs in 2004-2012.

Many more questions are to be answered by Nithyananda re. the authenticity of the so-called medical reports of Nithyananda and Aarthi Rao. But the single most important question whether Nithyananda is innocent cannot be answered by medical reports of Aarthi Rao or any other victim. It can only be established conclusively by Nithyananda proving that he is impotent and therefore incapable of the sexual acts alleged.

 The above was received in a message from Aarthi Rao, requesting us to post her response to Nithyananda's allegations, for the benefit of our readers.