Footprints Of Faith: Inside The World Of Baba Bhole Nath

The satsangs of self-styled 바카라�godman바카라� Baba Bhole Nath are a riot of colours and sounds. At the centre of an elevated stage, the Baba sits, dressed in pearly whites and on a gilded throne. A sea of followers바카라�sevadaars and bhakts바카라�encircle him like the four whorls of a flower, segregated by colour and function.

The outermost circle is populated with lakhs of devotees, mostly women who are encouraged to show up to the satsangs in brightly coloured sarees. Young girls in bridal wear sit in the front rows and call themselves 바카라�gopikas바카라� of the Baba, separated from him by three colour-coded layers of security. The first cordon consists of the pink saree and cap-clad Narayani Sena. The second whorl consists of the 바카라�Hari Vahak바카라� factions, dressed in brown uniforms. The closest cordon to the Baba is the Garud Sena (Eagle Army), armed and dressed in black overalls. Like the devotees, most of these personnel are women and remain close to him at all times.

바카라�I usually serve water to devotees at the satsangs,바카라� says Premvati from Bulandshahr, holding up a picture of one such event on her mobile phone. A member of Narayani Sena, Premvati has been in Baba바카라�s service for 20 years. Ever since she drank the Baba바카라�s 바카라�magic water,바카라� she and her family have prospered, she says. 바카라�My husband became a pradhaan, my three sons got good jobs, all because of Prabhuji바카라�s blessings,바카라� she quips.

Premvati was present in Hathras on July 2 at Baba바카라�s last satsang held in Phulrai village in Uttar Pradesh바카라�s Sikandar Rao. The infamous event concluded with a deadly stampede killing 121 devotees. A crowd of 250,000 people had gathered for the event even though organisers sought permission for just 80,000 people, reports said. Initial investigations into the incident stated that the stampede occurred when the devotees rushed to touch Baba바카라�s feet as he was leaving the venue at the end of the sermon. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the incident cleared the preacher of any wrongdoing, placing the blame on the satsang organisers. Cops have arrested 11 people in connection with the incident. The exoneration of the preacher, who바카라�s in the wind, has reignited the faith of his followers. Followers throng to the Baba바카라�s multiple ashrams and former residences to get a glimpse of him or a sip of his 바카라�magic water바카라�. Wherever they go, they chant, 바카라�Narayan Sakar Hari.바카라�

Earthly Possessions

Radha바카라�s shrivelled and dark frame is prostrate in front of the towering, white golden gates and white walls at Baba Bhole Nath바카라�s Bichuva village ashram. In Uttar Pradesh바카라�s Mainpuri district, this is where the godman had allegedly fled after hosting the fatal satsang. The police cordon outside the ashram maintains he is not inside. Bichuva Station Sub-Inspector Rakesh Sharma states that cops are on a rotating shift and strict vigilance is maintained on who comes in and out. Devotees like Radha, a daily wager living in the vicinity, remain unconvinced.

바카라�He is inside. I know it. I want his blessings for me and my son,바카라� the 50-year-old single mother states before touching her head to the ground outside the ashram바카라�s 30-foot-high gate. 바카라�They say Baba fulfils wishes and solves the problems of his devotees and doesn바카라�t ask for anything in return, so what바카라�s to lose?바카라� she asks.

Located in the middle of swathes of farmland, Baba바카라�s ashram is spread across nearly 22 bighas of land with white flags fluttering from turrets. High walls give the ashram the appearance of a citadel with cubbies built into the walls to accommodate his guards.

Sanjeev Kumar Sengar, a member of Ram Kutir Charitable Trust, the organisation that oversees the ashram, says the Baba likes privacy and doesn바카라�t interact with the media. Sengar also mentions that the ashram was built in 2020 on land donated by a local landowning sevadar named Vinod Babu. Hand-painted billboards display names of various donors who contributed to its construction, showing donations from Rs 2,000 to two and a half lakhs. After the Hathras stampede, there were speculations that the Baba had gone to the Mainpuri ashram to lay low. His sevadars, and his controversial lawyer AP Singh, deny this claim. Singh also mentions that sevadars are volunteers and 바카라�not directly linked with Baba,바카라� and cryptically added that 바카라�Baba does not deal with earthly matters.바카라�

Hathras police바카라�s investigations into the Baba바카라�s whereabouts nevertheless reveal an empire worth Rs 100 crores, including a fleet of luxury cars, over 20 ashrams and assets. A senior police official involved in the investigation confirms that Baba바카라�s financial network remained hidden due to his low profile and secretive nature.

Among his followers, a majority of whom are from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, the Baba is believed to be immortal, beyond caste and religion. Allegations of financial fraud are also dismissed with vigour. 바카라�The properties are owned by trusts, not the Baba himself. The trusts have been formed by his bhakts,바카라� Beer Pal Singh, a former CRPF jawan who lives inside the Mainpuri ashram, states. He claims the Baba healed his wife바카라�s kidney ailment for free. Another sevadar, Ajay Pratap, who says he is a doctor, feels that the slander 바카라�Prabhuji바카라� is currently facing is nothing but casteism. 바카라�Upper-caste dominated media and critics of Baba don바카라�t like that a Dalit man can be revered as God, even by upper castes,바카라� he adds.

The Metamorphosis

Bahadur Nagar lies 135 kilometres from Agra. This is Baba alias Surajpal Singh Jatav alias Narayan Sakar Hari바카라�s ancestral home. An ashram has been built here to commemorate his birthplace. The members of Shree Narayan Sakar Hari Charitable Trust, in charge of the ashram, claim it to be a sacred place. It too remains heavily guarded with armed security and military outposts integrated into the structure. 바카라�May Narayan Sakar Hari바카라�s name be praised across the universe for all eternity바카라� is printed in Hindi on all notice boards and the gates of buildings within the compound. The walls of Baba바카라�s numerous ashrams are pearly white, much like the clothes he wears. 바카라�White is the colour of truth,바카라� explains Rajat Singh Yadav, also known as 바카라�Khanna Ji바카라�, who manages the Bahadur Nagar ashram in Patiyali, Bahadur Nagar.

Born in 1968 to a family of Dalit farmers, Surajpal is the oldest of three brothers. One of his siblings has passed away, and the youngest remains estranged. Their family home in Bahadur Nagar is currently vacant, but usually the estranged brother lives there. Sonkali, an elderly woman who claims to be Surajpal바카라�s older sister, says that he has been interested in spirituality since childhood. 바카라�Khanna Ji바카라� explains the heavy security as necessary to ensure the safety of the volunteers.

Baba has as many origin stories as he does aliases. In the 1980s, he married Premvati from Ghotiya village near Kasganj. He joined UP Police and worked 18 years as a constable across multiple divisions while living mostly in Agra. It was in Agra that Surajpal Singh Jatav allegedly metamorphosed into Baba Bhole Nath. His former neighbour Irfan Khan recalls the transition from cop to preacher.

In 2000, Surajpal quit the police and started focusing on becoming a preacher. Aligarh range IG Shalabh Mathur confirms that, in 2000, Surajpal retired from the post of Head Constable at the SP (RA) office. Sources in the Shahganj police station in Agra say that Surajpal had started claiming he could heal the sick and resurrect the dead even before he quit. Others say he was removed due to allegations of sexual misconduct. 바카라�No matter what the reason, this is the flat where he claims to have attained enlightenment,바카라� Khan states, while adding, 바카라�This is also where he claimed to resurrect a dead girl.바카라�

In 2000, Surajpal was arrested after he allegedly claimed he could resurrect a dead 16-year-old girl who died of natural causes. Kishan Lal, an Agra-based lawyer who has been a follower since that time, claims to have witnessed the incident. The girl was Baba바카라�s niece from his wife바카라�s brother Mewa Ram. Since Surajpal and Premvati were childless, they had informally adopted the girl and were raising her in their Agra flat. After she died, locals claim that the girl바카라�s body was kept inside the house for two days by Surajpal. Mewa Ram, who lives in Etah now, remains dismissive about the incident. 바카라�It was a long time ago. Baba was not at fault,바카라� he says. An FIR was filed against Surajpal the same year in connection to the incident, though the case was closed by the end of the year due to lack of evidence.

He Said, She Said

Today, the Baba바카라�s former residence in Kedar Nagar area of Shahganj has been renovated by his sevadars and devotees out-of-pocket and turned into a three-storey flat, barricaded by with steel bars. Khan바카라�s house which shares a wall with Baba바카라�s flat and doubles as a warehouse for his shoe manufacturing business, has faced structural damage over the years due to the construction.

바카라�He used to live in a smaller house. In 2020, his followers started raising funds and donations and eventually renovated the old residence. Our wall is on the verge of breaking because of the unplanned construction, and we were neither asked for our permission nor compensated for damages by the sevadars,바카라� Khan insists.

The 바카라�sevadars바카라� in Agra are not part of any trust.

Another neighbour, Sitara, insists that though the Baba doesn바카라�t come here, his 바카라�sevadars바카라� have the key to the apartment and use it for clandestine purposes. 바카라�Many young women are always hovering here and some have even been seen entering the flat,바카라� she states knowingly, adding, 바카라�The Baba is known to grant wishes for new brides who want to become pregnant.바카라�

A senior journalist from Etah who has been covering the Baba바카라�s whereabouts for several years alleges that several women work as sevadars inside the Baba바카라�s ashrams. Baba바카라�s followers refute such claims, adding that the godman often talks about the upliftment of Dalits and the downtrodden, interspersed with moral strictures and advice on how to lead life.

바카라�He teaches people not to drink or eat non-vegetarian food. He says that following the path of Narayan Hari and living life according to his sermons would make us attain our higher selves,바카라� Reshma Devi, a farmer who lives just a kilometre away from his Patiyali ashram in Bahadur Nagar states. The local trust members like 바카라�Khanna ji바카라� also state that the preacher asks his followers to stay away from 바카라�Kanchan Kamini바카라� and resist seeking sensual pleasures.

Lining the entrance to Baba바카라�s fortress-like ashram in Bahadurpur is a row of hand pumps. Locals and devotees believe the water has magical powers and refer to it as Amrit jal. Kamal Singh, who drove down from Bulandshahr in his new car to pay their respects in Patiyali, filled a canister of water and splashed it on the new vehicle. 바카라�It will keep the car safe from accidents,바카라� he states. The sevadars working inside the ashram keep rotating on a fortnightly or monthly basis with fresh batches replacing the old volunteers. Those who leave are tasked with further recruitment. 바카라�We go out and tell people about Prabhuji바카라�s powers,바카라� Mohit says while chopping vegetables inside the ashram바카라�s communal kitchen used by sevadars. 

Delhi-based psychiatrist Dr Nimesh Desai explains that such delusional belief systems are often common among followers of religious gurus, spiritual wellness gurus, magico-religious groups, and cults in India. Religious or spiritual-based groups may have a looser structure and rules, and participation in the associated group activities can even be beneficial. Many, especially women, find peace and experience emancipation from stress when participating in group behaviours like satsangs. These groups usually have a more 바카라�elite바카라� following and do not encourage psychosis but rather emphasise the idea of 바카라�spiritual wellness.바카라� Desai says that there could be certain personality types or persons with undiagnosed or diagnosed psychiatric or psychological issues who may be more susceptible to becoming prey to fraudulent cults or groups.

The sociological, political, and economic position of the followers, however, remains an important variable in this regard. Sociology researcher Swati Rath from Ravenshaw University in Cuttack notes that for many, especially for people belonging to marginalised castes, following a 바카라�godman바카라� can provide a way to attain spirituality and feel religious inclusivity without having to participate in 바카라�traditional religion,바카라� which has historically excluded and discriminated against these communities. By following a godman, a guru, or a 바카라�messenger of god,바카라� people, especially women from oppressed and marginalised sections, often find a 바카라�quick fix바카라� to their problems, which may or may not get solved for real.

For the families grieving the loss of their loved ones in Hathras, though, there is no quick fix and the stampede has left many neighbourhoods divided. About 70 kilometres away from Phulrai, in the village of Daukeli, the house of Savitri Devi, 57, who was trampled to death at the satsang, remains in mourning. Her bereaved husband, Birpal Singh, feels that the clean chit given to the Baba was too hasty and a political move. Singh asks, 바카라�they want to retain their SC vote bank so no one is touching the Baba. If he is innocent, why is the Baba in hiding? Why doesn바카라�t he come forward and console his devotees who have faced such a loss?바카라�

He feels that the Baba should be punished, or, at least questioned. In the Naya Nangla area of Hathras where two elderly women lost their lives, many neighbours and kin of the deceased have been demanding a stricter inquiry into the Baba바카라�s assets.

Stampede victim Asha Devi바카라�s daughter, Mohini, has thrown out the picture of Baba Bhole Nath that her mother had worshipped. 바카라�She was a simple woman and believed in his miracles. She was a widow and raised four kids all by herself through hard labour. She found comfort in his words and I will not question that. But we will not let the future generations of our family fall prey to such nonsense,바카라� she states.

(This appeared in the print as 'Footprints Of Faith')