In Bageshwar Baba's Land, A City Built On Religious Tourism

He바카라�s a fair-skinned young man with bright black eyes and a wide grin that never seems to fade. You can바카라�t miss Dhirendra Krishna Garg, aka Bageshwar Baba and his androgynous aura, as his interminable stare greets you in photographs the moment you step into Bageshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh바카라�s Chhatarpur district.

Sometimes he바카라�s in aviators. Sometimes he바카라�s in a turban fit for an 18th-century Maratha king. On days he does not wear elaborate headgear, his flowing hair flops over his forehead and when it overgrows, his jet-black mane spills over his collar. His face is everywhere: on walls, road signs, posters, T-shirts and tote bags hawked in the temple바카라�s bustling marketplace.

Of Faith & Followers

To say that Bageshwar Dham, located in the jurisdiction of Gadha village, is built around Garg would be an understatement. The locals will tell you he built this city, transforming it into a hub of religious tourism. Quite like the Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana, which transformed from a modest spiritual commune into a virtually self-sustaining town. Faith-driven tourism fuelled its expansion as roads, schools, hospitals and markets followed. Devotees poured in, funding infrastructure, businesses and a full-fledged economy built on religious fervour.

바카라�Before Corona, there was nothing here바카라�no roads, no hotels, no jobs beyond farming or construction labour,바카라� says Gadha Sarpanch Arun Shukhla. In January this year, residents protested after a nearby railway station, about three kilometres from the Dham, was renamed from Duriya Ganj to Dariya Ganj. They argued that both names had Islamic origins and demanded that the station be renamed Bageshwar Dham Railway Station instead.

Gadha is Garg바카라�s home, a stone바카라�s throw from Bageshwar Dham. His parents still live there, in a new house built last year. When he바카라�s not touring India, London or Dubai, he stays there too. The village streets are lined with 바카라�Jai Shri Ram바카라� slogans and posters bearing his face.

Five years ago, Bageshwar Dham was just another temple with a trickle of visitors. No hotels. No high-rises. No economy. Then, in 2019, Dhirendra Krishna Garg began uploading his sermons to YouTube.

The first video featured a 23-year-old Garg in a blue kurta, addressing an audience of around 50. He lacked the swagger he has now, but you could see it coming. 바카라�Bolo Jai Shri Ram,바카라� he urged. The voices barely carried, but the video hit 56,000 views. His rise has been meteoric. By 2023, BBC reported 3.4 million Facebook followers, 3.9 million YouTube subscribers and a growing fan base across platforms. By February 2025, those numbers have doubled: 7.8 million on Facebook, 9.59 million on YouTube and 2.4 million on Instagram.

That kind of following buys attention. Politicians, businessmen, power players바카라� and they all come calling.

A Day at The Dham

On Tuesdays, Bageshwar Dham transforms. Between one and 15 lakh people pour in, hoping for a personal reading from 28-year-old Dhirendra Krishna Garg. His followers believe he has supernatural powers.

Kiran, 35, has travelled 900 km from Jodhpur. She discovered Garg on YouTube and was drawn to him because he doesn바카라�t ask for money. 바카라�You can donate if you want, but there바카라�s no ticketing system. That바카라�s how I know he바카라�s real,바카라� she says. It바카라�s her first visit, but she already feels at home among the lakh-strong crowd outside Garg바카라�s newly constructed procession hall. She has been waiting for two days, skipping meals and sleep. 바카라�If I meet him, my life could change for the better,바카라� she says, eyes shining with faith. Married for six years, she바카라�s been unable to conceive. Garg바카라�s blessings, she believes, will change that.

The Dham바카라�s day starts slow. People arrive by car, bus, even on foot. The main street is packed with stalls selling Bageshwar Baba merchandise, photos of a grinning Garg, T-shirts, tote bags and silver-gold kadas. There are also colour-coded potlis as offerings: white for family troubles, yellow for health issues. Priced between Rs 100 and Rs 500, they make their sellers a tidy sum; sometimes up to Rs 50,000 a day.

On the day we visited Bageshwar Dham, members of the Madhya Pradesh Sansad are visiting, hoping for a one-on-one with Garg. They arrive in a black Toyota Fortuner with VIP plates. Unlike the masses, they don바카라�t have to wait. They are ushered into a private room. Meanwhile, Garg바카라�s crowd managers keep his followers in check, maintaining order in a well-oiled system.

Every visitor must first visit the old Balaji temple before heading to the procession hall. The unpainted ceiling looms over a giant stage where Garg sits on a golden couch, surrounded by cushions emblazoned with his own face.

Outside, another saffron-fenced stage hosts a revolving door of followers. An old woman in a pink sari is called up. She kneels before Garg as he places a hand on her head. 바카라�You바카라�re here because of your son. He바카라�s struggling with his job, but don바카라�t worry. He will succeed, but it will take two and a half years. Be patient and pray.바카라� The crowd erupts in applause and awe.

바카라�He can see into our souls,바카라� says Anna* (name changed), who has flown in from Edinburgh. She바카라�s here for her Irish husband and brother, both battling mental health issues.

As a non-resident Indian (NRI), Anna has been allowed into the procession hall, a privilege granted to those who바카라�ve travelled far. But she바카라�s been waiting three days for a private audience and there바카라�s no guarantee she바카라�ll get one. The rules are strict. One must attend the temple바카라�s maha aarti 21 times before being considered. Attendance is tracked on a slip of paper. Any attempt to cheat results in a ban.

Among the waiting faithful, stories are currency. Followers, sometimes, try to curry favour with Garg바카라�s aides, spilling their troubles in hushed tones. It바카라�s no mystery how Garg knows their secrets. In just a minute, this reporter overhears intimate details about Anna바카라�s brother바카라�s depression.

But Anna is convinced. She points to the sheer diversity of Garg바카라�s followers, here in India and abroad in London, where she witnessed 바카라�not only Indians, but white people too바카라� throng to his appearances. 바카라�These are educated people you see,바카라� she says, adding that 바카라�if even educated people believe in him, then there must be something to it, right?바카라�

As the day wanes, Anna and her parents remain inside. Too risky to step out. What if their name is called? Like many, they바카라�ve gone without food. The hall is packed with hopefuls clinging to faith. Those who must step out get a 바카라�Ram바카라� penned on to their hand as proof for re-entry. Outside, desperate visitors stretch their arms between the iron bars of the gates, frenzied voices scream, 바카라�Baba, look at me!바카라� Parents clutch screaming babies, hoping for a blessing.

Garg works late. Last night, he held court till 3 am. Tonight, he promises to sit till 1 am. 바카라�I work 18 hours a day,바카라� he claims. Why? 바카라�Because people바카라�s problems need fixing.바카라�

He agrees to an interview on stage, in front of his followers. He knows how to play the crowd.

Asked why his popularity has surged, he grins, voice rising to a shrill pitch: 바카라�Because more people believe in God!바카라� The crowd explodes in laughter and applause. When he calls for a Hindu Rashtra, arguing, 바카라�There바카라�s no country for Hindus like there is for Muslims or Jews,바카라� the cheers are deafening.

He refuses to answer questions about the hate speech controversies that surround him. While on camera, he says, 바카라�I have no problem with other faiths, I just want acceptance for Hindus.바카라� Just three years ago, Shastri urged Hindus to bulldoze the houses of stone-pelters. 바카라�I will also buy a bulldozer after a few days바카라� I don바카라�t have the money right now. But soon I바카라�ll buy a bulldozer바카라� Whoever throws stones at Ram바카라�s work, Sanatani principles, saints, or Indian Sanatani Hindus, we will run a bulldozer over their house,바카라� Shastri was seen animatedly saying on camera in an interview flagged by the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority. He then made the same statement the next year.

In July 2023, eyewitness reports state that Garg and his followers allegedly assaulted an elderly woman who was wearing saffron and had allegedly come to file her application for a meeting with the Baba. At the same time, reports of Garg and his aides assaulting women occupants of the Dham바카라�s caretaker바카라�s house with sticks and rods. Reports allege a minor girl바카라�s hands were fractured during the raid.

But these reports go unnoticed by his followers. Inside the hall, women wail. A woman convulses in hysteria. Four aides carry one woman away, accompanied by her family. Her father insists it바카라�s not epilepsy. 바카라�She바카라�s in the thrall of God.바카라�

Outside the hall, there바카라�s no seating. People sleep on the bare ground, waiting for days. Sampath Ram (name changed), a 37-year-old engineer from Kerala, first found Garg on YouTube while working in Abu Dhabi. He바카라�s here for the first time, hoping to donate Rs five lakh. Maybe it will speed up his turn.

Kiran tried the same. No luck. But that only reinforced her belief. 바카라�I asked an aide, 바카라�Can I donate money to meet Babaji?바카라� They refused. You see? He바카라�s not money-minded. That바카라�s why he바카라�s the real deal,바카라� she explains.

By nightfall, the Dham glows under fluorescent red and green bulbs. It feels like a carnival. Children launch toy helicopters, adults huddle over chaat and pakoras. Garg, ever tireless, instructs his followers to chant Om and rub their palms together. Two lakh hands whisper in unison. Every few moments, someone cries Jai Shri Ram and the crowd roars back in perfect sync.

Capitalisation of Faith

Garg바카라�s Dham has been a spiritual centre for locals for generations. The 28-year-old comes from a family of priests. His grandfather was the head priest. But now, he runs more than just a temple. He presides over a booming tourism business. Women and young children walk around the Dham, offering tilaks, malas made of leaves and flowers and small offering potlis to the faithful. They earn around Rs 400-Rs 500 a day, nearly double of what they earned before the Dham gained popularity.

바카라�Earlier, we did mazdoori (labour). You went with your husband or sons and worked. Now, we sell malas (garlands) and our men do the mazdoori. So we get some time for ourselves and earn a little more than they do,바카라� says 50-year-old Shanti Bai.

Gadha바카라�s people speak of Garg with reverence and affection. Those who disagree with him refuse to speak at all, fearing repercussions. But everyone has either watched him grow up or have grown up with him. And they agree that his popularity has inspired major improvements in the region, including better roads, facilities and higher incomes for local residents.

바카라�You can see vikas (development) here. People from outside are now building homes. Earlier, plots sold for a maximum of Rs 1 lakh; now, they cost at least Rs 10 lakh, so incomes have risen,바카라� says Shukhla.

But not everyone has benefitted.

바카라�People are opening hotels on their land and outsiders are building homes here,바카라� says Mohit S* (name changed), pointing out the uneven development. 바카라�People rent homes and shops to those with the most money, so most shopkeepers here aren바카라�t locals. We can바카라�t afford those rents.바카라�

He gestures towards his house, its white paint peeling, a weather-beaten corrugated iron roof and exposed electricity wiring. 바카라�You can see this hasn바카라�t helped me. We were poor five years ago and we바카라�re even poorer now.바카라�

Water is another challenge. Despite having a higher underground water level than most drought-prone areas in Madhya Pradesh, the village struggles to meet the demand of lakhs of visitors every day. 바카라�We바카라�ve built three tanks for the Dham and nearby villages and two more are under construction,바카라� Garg says.

Some are worried about the waste generated by Garg바카라�s followers. Even though the Dham바카라�s sevakars (workers) help sweep up the rubbish 바카라� empty plastic water bottles, wrappers, wasted food and so on 바카라� twice a day, it never ends, says Manju, who works as a sweeper, earning Rs 8,000 a month.

Shukhla sees plastic waste as a major problem. 바카라�We바카라�ve requested a recycling plant because most of the garbage is plastic and we don바카라�t know what to do with it.바카라� Currently, the village collects, burns and buries plastic in a field near the mountains. With farmland surrounding the area, Shukhla worries that plastic pollution could poison the soil and affect the food supply.

Baba In Absentia

Perhaps Garg바카라�s influence is most evident in his absence.

On Wednesdays, when the godman leaves for Bihar, the Dham is unrecognisable. Though a few hundred people still gather for the maha aarti, the place is a shadow of what it was in Garg바카라�s presence.

Shops are shuttered and those that remain open, have no customers. The maidan outside Garg바카라�s procession hall is empty, littered with the previous day바카라�s trash. Except for prayers inside the temple, the Dham is quiet. No chants of 바카라�Jai Shri Ram,바카라� and no loudspeaker instructions from Baba바카라�s aides either. Ram Mohan, a shopkeeper near the Balaji temple, sums it up: 바카라�When Babaji isn바카라�t here, there바카라�s nothing. I make maybe Rs 1,000 a day. But when he is, I can make up to Rs 10,000.바카라�

Avantika Mehta is a senior associate editor based out of New Delhi

This article is a part of Outlook's March 21, 2025 issue 'The Pilgrim's Progress', which explores the unprecedented upsurge in religious tourism in India. It appeared in print as 'In Baba-Land'.