A prostrated devotee pays her obeisance to Baba Bhole Nath outside the gilded gates of his palatial ashram in Mainpuri.
Over a hundred devotees died at Bhole Baba’s satsang in Hathras recently, many of them women and children, especially from the Dalit or backward communities. The mass tragedy once again revived the debate surrounding babas or self-styled godmen and godwomen and people’s unhealthy obsession with them. Over the last decade, news of godmen like Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and Asaram Bapu, and their nefarious activities, have captured the media’s attention. Many have been imprisoned for fraud and rape. And yet the frenzy doesn’t seem to be dying down. In Outlook’s next issue, we explored why people believe in godmen and godwomen, examining their branding and attending satsangs to witness without judgement.
A prostrated devotee pays her obeisance to Baba Bhole Nath outside the gilded gates of his palatial ashram in Mainpuri.
Visitors of Radha Maa await for a glimpse of the godwoman
A devotee from Agra wipes a poster of Baba Bhole Nath outside his ashram in Mainpuri, UP
Ankur Narula Church in Village Khambra, Jalandhar, Punjab
Baba Bhole Nath's former residence in Agra.
Cross necklaces sold around Ankur Narula Church.
A woman follower of Ankur Narula crying during Prayer meet in Church.
Guarded interiors of Baba Bhole Nath's lavish ashram in Bichuva, Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh.
Gulabdhar Gupta, rickshaw driver, first time visitor at Radhe Maa's house.
Images of Radhe maa adorn the various corners of her palace
Oldest church Saint Mary in Jalander
Prayer speech by Ankur Narula Ministries at Jalandhar, Punjab
Radhe maa sits in her throne in her palace in Mumbai.
Sadik Masi convert Hindu to Christian Religion
A devotee sports a pendant with Baba Bhole Nath's face on it in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. These pendants are sold at his satsangs as merchandise for Rs 10 each.
Outlook Magazine cover on Baba dated August 1, 2024