IIt's a billionaires’ club, no doubt. One whose edifice has been built on elements that are more than just ‘soul food’. Call it religion, call it spirituality, call it wellness, India’s billionaire gurus have mastered the art of selling to the masses and the classes proprietary, branded salvation for the soul and healing for the body.
Welcome to the world of the country’s pantheon of godmen and godwomen who fly in jets, live in five-star luxury, move around in gleaming limos, amass huge fortunes while peddling ideas of simple, spartan living to their followers.
The one who’s been making maximum news in recent weeks, of course, is yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who presides over a flourishing empire worth over `1,100 crore. Making headlines for his crusade against corruption and black money, he was forced to give details of at least part of his business empire.
But for all this show of ‘transparency’ on the Baba’s part, he cleverly omitted details of a crucial part of his assets - the details of his associate companies, saying that if anyone wanted information on these, they could use the RTI route.
However, with the income tax department hot on his heels as it probes the Baba’s commercial interests, the going is unlikely to be easy for the man with humble beginnings in a Haryana village.
An even bigger empire though was built by the late Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi. Said to be worth thousands of crores, it straddled educational and medical institutes and ashrams spread over 100 countries. A whole new township came up in Puttaparthi as the masses flocked to the baba, adept at producing ‘vibhuti’ and wrist-watches with a flick of his hands. Stories of his ‘healing’ touch too abounded, though there were rationalists who questioned his ‘miracles’, questions that never got answers.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, based in Bengaluru has in recent years acquired a huge following for his ‘Art of Living’ brand. The guru has a sprawling ashram in Bengaluru, complete with a helipad, artificial lake, living quarters, dining halls and cyber cafes.
Among the godwomen, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi or ‘Amma’ as she’s popularly known has not only built a huge following over the years but an empire comprising schools, temples, a deemed university and a hospital.