Bhakti Marga (organisation)

Last updated
  • Bhakti Marga
Formation13 June 2005(18 years ago) (2005-06-13)
Founder Vishwananda
Type Religious organization
Legal status Foundation
HeadquartersShree Peetha Nilaya, Heidenrod, Hesse, Germany
Area served
Worldwide
Affiliations Vishishtadvaita, Kriya Yoga school, Warkari, Shaktism, Shaivism, Sri Vaishnavism, Sant Tradition (Hinduism)
Website www.bhaktimarga.org

Bhakti Marga is a neo-Hindu organisation founded by Mauritian-born guru Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda. [1] [2] It was founded on 13 June 2005 in Frankfurt, Germany. Its main headquarters is located in Heidenrod, Hesse, Germany. [3] It views itself as being part of a new tradition founded by Vishwananda, the Hari Bhakta Sampradaya , which represents a combination of certain Vaishnava, Shaiva and Shakta philosophies. The followers do not strictly adhere to one particular set of scriptures but rather predominantly on the "personality of Paramahamsa Vishwananda", similar to the Sant tradition. [4]

Contents

History

Bhakti Marga means "Path of Devotion". [5] [6] Hari means 'God' (more specifically Vishnu), Bhakta means 'devotees' and Sampradaya means 'lineage of teachings'. The sampradaya has been viewed as a combination of the teachings of various vedantic saints, such as Mahavatar Babaji, [7] [8] Ramanujacharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, including other Hindu denominations. [9]

Vishwananada receives the title Mahamandaleshwara by Nirmohi Akhada, which makes him the second guru outside of India to be awarded the title. Mahamandaleshwara Vishwananda.jpg
Vishwananada receives the title Mahamandaleshwara by Nirmohi Akhada, which makes him the second guru outside of India to be awarded the title.

Vishwananda arrived in the West in the year of 2004 and settled in a house in Steffenshof, Germany, with a small group of followers. He later established the organisation on 13 June 2005 at the age of 27. [10] He began the movement by travelling the world to give darshans , lead pilgrimages, build communities, and to initiate monks into the Bhakti Marga spiritual lineage. [11] [12] [2] [13] The first Bhakti Marga commune, Shree Peetha Nilaya, opened to the public in 2013 in Heidenrod, Germany. [14] Following Paramahamsa Vishwananda’s lead, additional ashrams have been built by the organization's swamis around the world such as ashrams in India (Vrindavan), [15] Latvia (Riga) and Russia (Moscow). [13] [16] By the end of 2022 Bhakti Marga had around 10,000 followers [17] and between 30 and 50 ashrams worldwide. By the end of 2023 Vishwananda had around 50,000 followers, which includes 450 initiated male and female Brahmacharis, as well as more than 50 male and female Swamis and Rishis. [18]

Motto and principles

The tradition of Bhakti Marga is centered around developing a deeply personal relationship with the Divine and the guru. This relationship fosters an environment in which unconditional acceptance of oneself can flourish, allowing practitioners to experience and express pure love in all aspects of their lives. [8] As it arises, it nurtures a sense of self-confidence, empowering practitioners to integrate this love into their daily activities and interactions. It emphasizes the importance of spiritual development alongside personal growth, ensuring that the love cultivated through the practice is both internal and external, benefiting the practitioner and the broader community. [4]

Bhakti Marga incorporates nine distinct forms of bhakti, which are central to its transformative power through Atma Kriya Yoga. Each of the fifteen techniques in Atma Kriya Yoga is believed to awaken a different form of bhakti, enriching the practitioner's spiritual journey. Greater awareness of the soul, combined with love and devotion to God, is said to enhance the practice. [19] [8] [2] [20]

The forms of bhakti include Shravana bhakti, which involves listening to the stories and glories of the God and the saints, and chanting. Kirtana bhakti is the singing of God's pastimes, bringing joy and divine resonance to the body, mind, and spirit. Smarana bhakti focuses on the constant remembrance of the Divine, helping the mind release worries and turn to the Divine. Padaseva bhakti involves serving humanity, recognizing the divinity within all living beings. [19]

Archana bhakti brings the external worship of the Divine, with breathing techniques that purify the body and focus the mind. Vandana bhakti, the act of bowing down, establishes humility and the acknowledgment of the Divine’s greatness, transforming yoga postures into acts of devotion. Dasya bhakti is about offering service to the Divine through daily duties, seeing every act as an offering of love and gratitude. Sakhya bhakti emphasizes the personal and eternal relationship each devotee has with the Divine, which can be expressed in various ways. Atmanivedana bhakti represents the soul’s natural devotion upon realizing the Divine’s omnipresence, which is believed to be achievable through the grace of a saint and facilitated by Atma Kriya Yoga’s Shaktipat Initiation. [19]

Motto

The main aim of the organisation and its sampradaya is to re-establish harmonious relationship with God, characterized by unconditional love and devotion. [4] [8]

Religious practices

Bhakti Marga followers follow Sadhana or 'spiritual practice', which can be carried out in any form or sequence. However, the main practices are japa , the reciting of the holy names [16] , meditation with Atma Kriya Yoga, [21] [8] [7] [1] daily prayer in worship through puja and yajna. Encouragement is also made to take up at least one verse of the Bhagavad Gita daily. [21] Devotional arts are also seen as ways to express bhakti towards Hari, such as painting, Sri Yantra composition, singing, dancing and theatre plays. [22] [23] Om Namo Narayanaya is described as a powerful maha-mantra which is considered that all other mantras are contained within it, which is chanted multiple rounds a day. [9] [24]

Initiation

A Bhakti Marga devotee's initiation into the sampradaya would need to adhere to its religious rules for a minimum of 2 years. [25]

Narasimha, a fierce avatar of Vishnu, is prominently worshipped in Bhakti Marga ashrams Vishnu narasimha.JPG
Narasimha, a fierce avatar of Vishnu, is prominently worshipped in Bhakti Marga ashrams

Roles

Bhakti Marga swamis/swaminis wear orange clothing, who are seen as "spiritual advisors and emissaries of Paramahamsa Vishwananda". They are entrusted with the spiritual welfare of the sangha (community members). The organization's rishis/rishikas wear red carry out the mission of disseminating the organization's teachings and are regarded as "swamis-in-training." Both groups receive their initiation directly from Paramahamsa Vishwananda. The brahmacharis/brahmacharinis of the organization wear yellow. Their clothing are usually in the form of kurtas, dhotis, and saris. All are initiated devotees who take additional vows of celibacy and voluntarily take part in all the organization's activities. [23]

A Bhakti Marga follower performing japa with a mala bag. Puja by a Bhakti Yogi.jpg
A Bhakti Marga follower performing japa with a mala bag.

Some monks and nuns reside in ashramas, where they are supported by the community, allowing them to dedicate themselves in assisting Paramahamsa Vishwananda and advancing the Bhakti Marga mission. Others balance their spiritual responsibilities with their household lives, known as grihasta, while supporting local sanghas in their respective countries. [23]

Ashrams

Every Bhakti Marga ashram has at least one temple, which in turn often contains several idols representing deities. In addition to various Hindu deities, Vaishnava and non-vaishnava, Babaji and Ramanuja are worshipped as gurus in the main temple in Springen. [26] The main deities in Sri Vaishnava are Narayana and Lakshmi, [27] [28] who are also worshiped in the Bhakti Marga temples. [29] However, many other deities are also worshiped, some of which belong to the Vaishnava pantheon (Radha and Krishna), but some of them do not. This worship of non-vaishnava gurus and deities, like Shiva and Durga, [30] distinguishes Bhakti Marga from other Vaishnava religions, like Shri Vaishnava, or Gaudiya Vaishnava, which is known in western countries mainly through the Hare Krishna movement. [31]

In addition, the ashram in Springen contains a Russian Orthodox chapel, in which there are also relics of Christian saints. [32] It is not uncommon in the syncretistic system of Hinduism for Christ to be viewed as the avatar of Vishnu. However, there are currently no liturgical services in the chapel. Building of the temple has cost more than one million euros. The movement claims to have between 30 and 50 centres or temples worldwide, some of them rather small. [26]

In November 2020 it became known that Bhakti Marga in Kirchheim in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district of Hesse wants to set up its Hindu Germany center in the area of the Seepark Kirchheim holiday complex, which includes its own lake. [33]

In January 2022 Bhakti Marga purchased a former Catholic Church in West Elmira, New York, the former Our Lady of Lourdes parish, to become its first ashram and temple in America. [34] According to Swami Tulsidas, Bhakti Marga's representative in North America, the main deity in the new ashram will be that of Narasimha, the avatar of Vishnu. [35] In October 22, 2023, In the small town of Elmira, New York, Swami Paramahamsa Vishwananda completed the inauguration of the Paranitya Narasimha Temple and ashram on September 3, 2023. It was the culmination of a massive undertaking by the oragnization's American devotees and monks. Hundreds of people from around the world made the pilgrimage to attend. Devotees from Russia, Brazil, Canada, India and Africa gathered in Elmira to volunteer and help in the event. [36]

Just Love Festival

Since 2015, Bhakti Marga has held a large, multi-day festival in Germany every year, the Just Love Festival, which attracts up to 3,000 visitors. The duration of the festival varies between three and ten days. During the festival, various spiritual music bands from different countries play, mainly bhajans and kirtans, but these can be interpreted differently, such that Sanskrit hymns could also be rapped. The event is usually in the summer, the focus of the festival is Guru Purnima, a Hindu festival held every year in honor of the guru, spiritual or academic, on a full moon day. As a supporting program there are exhibitions of arts and crafts, a bazaar, a vegan restaurant, and various teaching lectures and workshops by Bhakti Marga initiated members. [26] "Just Love" is also the slogan of Bhakti Marga. It is meant to express the ideal of the movement, which places love at the center of life, love for God, but also love for the guru or the community.

Controversies

On December 10, 2016, Bhakti Marga carried out a group chanting at the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Critics accused Bhakti Marga of exploitation and relativization of the holocaust. [37] [38]

On March 17, 2018, Bhakti Marga carried out a group chanting at the Buchenwald concentration camp, which led to protests. The head of the Jewish community in Thuringia state, Germany, Reinhard Schramm, stated that he faced no issue when meeting the organization and even referred to them as 'partners' in the fight against ethnic and religious racism and xenophobia. [39] In Austria, the interior ministry responsible for memorial sites stated that the monuments are open to anyone who respects “the dignity of the place.” Willi Mernyi, chairman of the Mauthausen Committee who oversees the memorial, said that he saw the procession as an act of respect and wanted to not criticise the organisation for it. [37] [38] [40]

On January 2022, a television and podcast documentary by Hessischer Rundfunk, the German state of Hesse's public broadcasting corporation, several alleged victims were interviewed and accused Vishwananda of sexual abuse. [41] [42] In response, Bhakti Marga filed a suit against Hessischer Rundfunk in Hamburg Regional Court for false reporting in a TV and podcast production. [43] Vishwananda denied all allegations of sexual transgressions, filing an affidavit at the court through his lawyer. [44]

After a thorough examination, the Hamburg Regional Court came to the conclusion that numerous statements containing the core allegation of alleged sexual abuse were procedurally untrue and therefore inadmissible. These statements were also ruled not permissible as statements of suspicion. [43] Seven provisional injunctions were issued by the district Court of Hamburg in March 2022 which prohibited public allegations of sexual misconduct against Vishwananda. [41] [42]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bhakti is a term common in Indian religions which means attachment, fondness for, devotion to, trust, homage, worship, piety, faith, or love. In Indian religions, it may refer to loving devotion for a personal God, a formless ultimate reality or for an enlightened being. Bhakti is often a deeply emotional devotion based on a relationship between a devotee and the object of devotion.

Bhakti yoga, also called Bhakti marga, is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on loving devotion towards any personal deity. It is one of the three classical paths in Hinduism which lead to moksha, the other paths being jnana yoga and karma yoga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siddha Yoga</span> Type of yoga

Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path founded by Swami Muktananda (1908–1982). According to its literature, the Siddha Yoga tradition is "based mainly on eastern philosophies" and "draws many of its teachings from the Indian yogic texts of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism, the Bhagavad Gita and the poet-saints." The present head of Siddha Yoga is Gurumayi Chidvilasananda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sivananda Saraswati</span> Hindu spiritual teacher

Sivananda Saraswati was a yoga guru, a Hindu spiritual teacher, and a proponent of Vedanta. Sivananda was born in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, and was named Kuppuswami. He studied medicine and served in British Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaudiya Vaishnavism</span> Hindu religious movement

Gaudiya Vaishnavism, also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal, with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu". Specifically, it is part of Krishnaism—Krishna-centric Vaishnavite traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hariharananda Giri</span> Indian yogi and guru

Hariharananda Giri, was an Indian yogi and guru who taught in India as well as in western countries. He was born as Rabindranath Bhattacharya in Nadia district, West Bengal. He was the head of the Kriya Yoga Institute, United States, and founder worldwide Kriya Yoga Centers. According to some sources, Hariharananda was a direct disciple of Yukteswar Giri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muktanand Swami</span>

Muktanand Swami (1758–1830), born Mukunddas, was a swami and paramahansa of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goloka</span> Celestial abode of Hindu deities Radha and Krishna

Goloka or Goloka Vrindavan is the celestial abode of the Hindu god Krishna and his chief consort goddess Radha. In the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna is portrayed as the highest person who resides in Goloka. Goloka is often represented as the celestial realm containing flowing streams and lovely gardens, and is inhabited by cows and enchanting maidens - Gopis.

<i>Sharanagati Gadyam</i> Hindu hymn

The Sharanagati Gadyam is a Sanskrit prayer, written by the Hindu philosopher Ramanuja towards the end of the 11th century. It is one of the first bhakti prayers in the Sri Vaishnava school of thought and is the basis for many prayers, like the Raghuvira Gadyam, also of this style. It is recited in the 108 Divya Desam temples, including Srirangam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krishnaism</span> Group of Hindu traditions that reveres Krishna as the Supreme Being

Krishnaism is a term used in scholarly circles to describe large group of independent Hindu traditions—sampradayas related to Vaishnavism—that center on the devotion to Krishna as Svayam Bhagavan, Ishvara, Para Brahman, who is the source of all reality, not an avatar of Vishnu. This is its difference from such Vaishnavite groupings as Sri Vaishnavism, Sadh Vaishnavism, Ramaism, Radhaism, Sitaism etc. There is also a personal Krishnaism, that is devotion to Krishna outside of any tradition and community, as in the case of the saint-poet Meera Bai. Leading scholars do not define Krishnaism as a suborder or offshoot of Vaishnavism, considering it at least a parallel and no less ancient current of Hinduism.

Rasa refers to the creation and reception of a distinct 'flavor' or quality of something. As a Sanskrit theological concept, rasa was popularized Krishna-centered bhakti traditions, such as Gaudiya Vaishnavism from the fifteenth century. The theological use of the word can be found early, about two thousand years before the Nimbarka or Chaitanya schools of bhakti, in 2.7.1 of the Taittiriya Upanishad: "Truly, the Lord is rasa" This statement expresses the view that God is the one who enjoys the ultimate rasa, or spiritual rapture and emotions.

Kripa (कृपा) is the concept of divine grace in Hinduism. It is the central tenet of Bhakti Yoga and Bhakti movements, which are seen as reform movements in Hinduism as compared to the Hinduism which finds its origins in the Vedas; though variously it can mean "grace", "mercy", or "blessing", depending upon the context. The Hindi word Kirpala from Sanskrit Kripala means "kind" and is used as a given name for males, while "Kripa" (Kṛpā), is used as a female given name.

Hindu denominations, sampradayas, traditions, movements, and sects are traditions and sub-traditions within Hinduism centered on one or more gods or goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and so on. The term sampradaya is used for branches with a particular founder-guru with a particular philosophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigamananda Paramahansa</span> Hindu Spiritual Leader Writer Philosopher Tantrik Guru and Yogi

Swami Nigamananda Paramahansa was an Indian yogi, guru and mystic in Eastern India. He is associated with the Shakta tradition and a spiritual master of vedanta, tantra, yoga and prema or bhakti. His followers referred him as Thakura.

Gnanananda (Nia-na-nan-da) was an Indian guru, referred to by followers as Swami Sri Gnanananda Giri. He was the Chief Disciple of the Sri Sivaratna Giri Swamigal and one of the leaders (Peetathipathis) of the Jyotir Math, one of the four Maths established by Adi Sankara. This lineage of Peetathipathis is also called the 'Giri' Paramparai, as seen from the Peetathipathis' name which ends with 'Giri'. Gnanananda is a Mahayogi, Siddha Purusha, Himalayan sage and Indian philosopher. He believed in Advaita Vedanta because of his lineage. He had a number of disciples including Vidyananda, Triveni and Dasagiri. He blessed Hari to 1. Haridhos Giri to uplift and help mankind from sufferings through Guru Bakthi Prachara Swami had a number of accomplished disciples through his abnormally long tenure- Bramanamda who took samadhi at Puskar, Achutadasa of Polur. He loved obsurity. He changed identity to avoid being recognised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukundananda</span> Indian religious teacher

Swami Mukundananda

The Science of Identity Foundation (SIF) is a Bhakti Yoga spiritual and religious organization, grounded in Hindu Vaishnava principles, founded by Chris Butler in 1977, based in Hawaii, United States. Its theology is broadly based on Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhakti Vijnana Goswami</span> Uzbek-born religious official (born 1956)

Bhakti Vijnana Goswami is a Gaudiya Vaishnava guru and a leader for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishwananda</span> German neo-Hindu religious leader

Vishwananda, known to followers as Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, is a Mauritian neo-Hindu religious leader. He is the founder of Bhakti Marga, a neo-Hindu organization that has ashrams and temples in many countries. He lives in Germany, where his main ashram is in the small village of Springen (Heidenrod) in the Taunus, and teaches his own version of kriya yoga called Atma Kriya Yoga.

References

  1. 1 2 Faro, El (2023-11-15). "Ramchandani recibe en España al maestro hindú Swami Vishwananda". El Faro de Ceuta (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  2. 1 2 3 "संत-महात्माः भक्ति मार्ग आंदोलन के संस्थापक परमहंस श्री स्वामी विश्वानंद". Jansatta (in Hindi). 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  3. ↑ "Paramahamsa Vishwananda says "India feels like home to me."". www.ibtimes.sg. 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  4. 1 2 3 "Becoming a Devotee". blog.bhaktimarga.org. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  5. ↑ "Hindu spiritual group moves into former West Elmira Catholic Church". WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  6. ↑ "Hinduism - Karma, Samsara, Moksha | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  7. 1 2 "Mahavatar Babaji and the Grace of the Masters". blog.bhaktimarga.org. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "What makes Atma Kriya Yoga unique?". blog.bhaktimarga.org. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  9. 1 2 Vishwananda, Paramahamsa Sri Swami (2017-01-12). Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: The Song of Love. Bhakti Marga Publications. ISBN   978-3-940381-70-5.
  10. ↑ "Hindu-Tempel der Bhakti Marga hat Hauptsitz in Hessen". FAZ.NET (in German). 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  11. ↑ "Meet Paramahamsa Vishwananda, Revolutionary Guru Who Is Travelling All Around World Giving Darshans Since Age of 15 Years | LatestLY". LatestLY. 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  12. ↑ "Darshan with Sri Swami Vishwananda in Guwahati". Assam Times. 2013-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  13. 1 2 "Hindu group spiritual leader offers blessings at West Elmira temple". WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. 2022-09-08. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  14. ↑ "Paramahamsa Vishwananda's enlightenment and his early years". APN News. March 24, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Kriya Yoga And Spiritual Guru Paramahamsa Vishwananda To Visit India, Here's How You Can Seek His Blessings". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  16. 1 2 "Paramahamsa Vishwananda says "India feels like home to me."". www.ibtimes.sg. 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  17. ↑ Focus-Online staff (19 August 2023). "Mitten im Taunus baut Hindu-Guru via Tiktok seine Sekte auf" [In the middle of the Taunus, the Hindu guru is building up his sect via Tiktok]. Focus-Online. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  18. ↑ Sharma, Sonu (2023-12-18). "परमहंस श्री विश्वानंद ने मनाया कार्तिक उत्सव". 4PM News. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  19. 1 2 3 "Dive into the Heart of Meditation". blog.bhaktimarga.org. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  20. ↑ elainenaidoo (2016-05-11). "Spreading the message of love". Rising Sun Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  21. 1 2 Deep, Ajay (2023-05-22). "Parmahamsa Vishwananda says, "Atma Kriya Yoga is like a universal highway to develop your personal relationship with God". Chandigarh Metro. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  22. ↑ "Paramahamsa Vishwananda says "India feels like home to me."". www.ibtimes.sg. 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  23. 1 2 3 "What is the Lifestyle of a Hari Bhakta?". blog.bhaktimarga.org. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  24. ↑ "Project Mantra". Bhakti Marga Mauritius. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  25. ↑ "Become a Devotee Of Paramahamsa Vishwananda". pages.bhaktimarga.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  26. 1 2 3 Maus, Robert (10 September 2018). "Der Ashram im Taunus" [Ashram in Taunus]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
  27. ↑ Tapasyananda, Svami (1990). Bhakti Schools of Vedanta. Mylapore, Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math. pp. 31–33. ISBN   81-7120-226-8.
  28. ↑ Tapasyananda, Svami (1991). "Introduction". Sri Ramanuja Gita Bhasya. Translated by Svami Adidevanand. Mylapore, Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math. pp. 9–40. ISBN   81-7823-290-1.
  29. ↑ Shree Peetha Nilaya staff (August 2023). "Serve a deity program". Shree Peetha Nilaya. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  30. ↑ Vasconcelos, Catarina Maldonado (20 April 2021). ""Ele é um avatar de amor." A comunidade hindu do Porto que adora o guru de Rui Patrício como deus" ["He is an avatar of love." The Hindu community in Porto that worships Rui Patrício's guru as a god]. TSF (in Portuguese).
  31. ↑ Dimock, Edward C. Jr. (2000). "Adi Lila, Chapter 17, verses 33 ff". In Steward, Tony K. (ed.). Caitanya caritamrta of Krsnadasa Kaviraja: a translation and commentary. Harvard Oriental Series. Vol. 65. ISBN   0-674-00285-7.
  32. ↑ Eißler, Friedmann (January 2020). "Bhakti Marga in der Kritik" [Bhakti Marga in criticism]. Zeitschrift für Religion und Weltanschauung[Journal of Religion and Worldview] (in German).
  33. ↑ Löwenberger, Bernd (18 November 2020). "Seepark Kirchheim verkauft: Aus für das Hotel, Hindu-Religionszentrum geplant" [Seepark Kirchheim sold: Planned out for the hotel, Hindu religious center]. Hersfelder Zeitung.
  34. ↑ Aldinger, Carl (September 7, 2022). "Hindu spiritual group moves into former West Elmira Catholic Church". MyTwinTiers.com.
  35. ↑ Bhakti Marga America (2022-01-25). ELMIRA: New Ashram and Mandir Announcement . Retrieved 2024-05-25– via YouTube.
  36. ↑ "Paranitya Narasimha Temple Dedicated – Hindu Press International" . Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  37. 1 2 Niewendick, Martin (3 March 2018). "Spirituelle Gruppe will KZ-Gedenkstätte mit Ritual "heilen"" [Spiritual group wants to heal concentration camp]. Die Welt (in German).
  38. 1 2 Sommer, Philipp (2 March 2018). "Dieser Kult will in Konzentrationslagern meditieren" [This cult wants to meditate at concentration camps]. Vice (in German).
  39. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de. "KZ-Gedenkstätte Buchenwald - Chanting wider die Schuld". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  40. ↑ Heneghan, Tom (2018-03-30). "Hindus chant to 'purify' former Nazi concentration camps". Religion News Service. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  41. 1 2 Blazekovic, Aurelie von (2022-04-08). "Guru gegen Sender: Wie Bhakti Marga erfolgreich gegen den HR klagt". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  42. 1 2 Hülsen, Isabell (2022-04-08). "(S+) HR-Doku über Missbrauch: Ein US-Amerikaner wird zum Opfer erklärt - doch der Sender hat nie mit ihm gesprochen". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN   2195-1349 . Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  43. 1 2 "Hat der Hessische Rundfunk ein Sorgfaltsproblem?". www.fr.de (in German). 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  44. ↑ "Stellungnahme Bhakti Marga zur Berichterstattung des Hessischen Rundfunk". pages.bhaktimarga.org (in German). Retrieved 2024-05-27.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.