It begins in this room, which is essentially a corridor, fitted with a television screen on which you are to witness the life and times of Radhe Maa (Sukhvinder Kaur), a self-styled godwoman from Punjab. Red outfit, red teeka and blazing red lipstick. Her trademarks. Also, a trishul that she holds in her hands.
The suspense, the competition and the storytelling are all part of the darshan experience, which she has agreed to give Outlook on a rainy night in Mumbai. Only one of us would be blessed tonight, a man says.
For the uninitiated, the waiting ritual is like witnessing a distortion of time. It is past 10 pm at her bungalow, Radhe Maa Palace, in Borivali. It is on Google Maps. Life-size statues of Greco Roman sentries of the underworld guard the premises. On the fourth floor, you spot the red bulbs. On the ground floor, two women chant in front of a statue, which is seemingly of goddess Durga, but the hairstyle is contemporary. The wavy, blow-dried kind, with bangs.
바카라You are going to meet a glamorous, beautiful godwoman,바카라 Prof Ronki Ram said over the phone as he discussed the social capital generation at the deras and ashrams. 바카라They are intelligent and smart.바카라
Talli Baba, a man dressed in saffron robes, Radhe Maa바카라s aide, tells his story of his encounter with the godwoman. He was only five-years-old and had lost his mother seven months earlier, when he saw Radhe Maa at a satsang in Phagwara, Punjab.
바카라I saw my mother바카라s face when I saw her,바카라 he says. 바카라She hasn바카라t changed. She looks the same.바카라
Talli Baba바카라s real name is Gaurav Kumar Sharma. Talli, in Punjabi, means bells, he says.
The dozen-odd people in the room recount their stories of miracles they attribute to Radhe Maa.
A man from Panipat is here with his family.
바카라She saved my father바카라s life thrice,바카라 he says.
They had needed a blood donor and someone showed up at the hospital each time. His father survived.
There is no room for chance here.
In the ambiguous realm of godmen and godwomen, devotees credit them without evidence, dismissing science and rationality.
The trust that Radhe Maa runs is recounted for its charity work, including gifting wedding presents to sponsored brides. Talli Baba says the choice offered is between a vacuum cleaner and a blood pressure machine.
God works in mysterious ways.
To be in this room, where men and women and girls and boys are all wearing headbands that have Jai Radhe Maa written in gold, you have to attempt a total suspension of disbelief. We are here to witness the darshan and understand why people believe in her despite allegations, including a 2014 dowry harassment case and 2015 voyeurism and sexual abuse charges by former devotees.
We have been told Radhe Maa can read your mind, listen to everything you say, etc.
My eyes scan the room for any hidden microphones and CCTV cameras. Out of habit.
Jassi, a Sikh from Ludhiana, tells us his story. As a young boy, he met Radhe Maa at a neighbour바카라s house. His family was struggling financially, with a sister바카라s wedding approaching. After meeting Radhe Maa, things improved. He later moved to Mumbai, met Radhe Maa again and got a job without formal degrees. Now, his family manages the langar at Radhe Maa바카라s events.
At some point, we are told Radhe Maa would see the Outlook team. We are to wear the headbands and do what others will do.
바카라Touch her feet,바카라 he says.
We are ushered into what they refer to as her gufa (den) where she lives with Choti Maa, her aide.
Everything is red. Walls, floors, chairs. The doors are golden and as is her bed and everything else that바카라s in the room. The bedspread is made of red velvet, like her gown. She is sitting on a stool placed on the bed.
There바카라s music. The women clap, the men chant.
She calls out to a man who has come from Ludhiana. He receives a thread that she ties around his wrist. People in the room cheer.
Our photographer, Dinesh Parab, is also summoned. She places her hands on his, and gives him a coin. Shweta Desai of Outlook is next. She gets a yellow dupatta.
A woman stands up and begins to dance. Radhe Maa then calls me.
I am given a red dupatta.
Later, when we interview her, she sits on a golden throne.
바카라You are emotional,바카라 she tells me. 바카라I can see it.바카라
In that moment, I want to believe her. Hope, love and loss are what lead us to spaces where we want to be understood and where we hope for miracles.
It is a place for the broken-hearted.
Radhe Maa avoids discussing controversies. Journalists depict her as a make-up wearing woman, with a viral photo of her in a miniskirt labelled obscene.
The world of godwomen and godmen is tough, competitive, where one must stand out. If godmen can tie loincloths, why can바카라t a Radhe Maa wear a miniskirt?
She is smart.
바카라You are here to test me,바카라 she says.
Then, she places her hand on my head. I am the chosen one.
I am told to watch Maha Shiv Puran on a streaming platform.
바카라She has given you peace,바카라 Choti Maa tells me.
The range of problems faced by people here has a similar trope. Troubles with romance, troubles at work, trouble with change.
Intelligence and education do not protect against superstition because uncertainty is difficult. We want answers, miracles. We are the ideal customers for the miracle market.
We want to believe that a placebo effect is a miraculous cure. After over a hundred devotees died at Bhole Baba바카라s satsang in Hathras recently, we explored why people believe in godmen and godwomen, examining their branding and attending satsangs to witness without judgement. On the way back, I held the dupatta, unsure about what to do with it.
Radhe Maa had said I will return.
I won바카라t. I was a witness. Not a participant.
Although, I did want to believe in miracles that night.
(This appeared in the print as 'Between Reason And Rhapsody')
