Photo Credits: The Prime Time
Earlier this month, a Hindu guru — who is a fugitive from the law in India where he is accused of rape — announced he was establishing the sovereign Republic of Kailaasa, world's greatest and purest Hindu nation. The guru, who is called Nithyananda, is facing criminal charges in India of raping and abducting his own followers. He is under multiple allegations that he abducted and confined children to collect donations for his ashram and that he raped one of his disciples. His current whereabouts are unknown but it looks like he is going to start a cult-like island nation while he is running away from Indian law enforcement.
According to Patheos, The “cosmic country” will reportedly be established on a private island off the coast of Ecuador, purchased by some of his wealthy devotees. Applications are open for those who want to apply for citizenship and a passport, which allows for “free entry in all 11 dimensions and 14 lokas [the 14 worlds of Hinduism] including Kailaasa.” Only practicing Hindus are allowed to apply for citizenship. A donation needs to be made to Kailaasa in order to be put forward for citizenship and all passport applications will be personally approved by Nithyananda. Despite the fact that Nithyananda is a fugitive from the law for more than one year, he has continued to use YouTube in order to broadcast live to his followers and it was there that he declared the establishment of his new nation. There is also a website presenting this faux nation as a place for “dispossessed Hindus” who want to practice freely and declaring that the country will offer universal healthcare, fee food distribution and free education.
In reality, criminal charges against Nithyananda may be the main reason for his idea to form a nation. While several people in his inner circle have already been arrested, the guru has successfully evaded authorities and now with the creation of a new country the question is whether the prosecutors will be able to extradite him from there.
Even before he was accused of above mentioned crimes, the guru has attracted attention by claiming that he poses spiritual abilities and supernatural powers. According to Patheos, his skills include being able to delay the sunrise for 40 minutes, being able to see through walls, curing 82 children of blindness by “opening their third eye” and getting cows to speak in Sanskrit and Tamil. Now he has presented a new ability — creating a nation in order to successfully remain out of reach of prosecutors and avoid being punished for his alleged crimes.
