Mahakumbh Nagar:
At first sight, Vyasanand Giri appears like other Mahamandaleshwars in Mahakumbh and is seen roaming around in Niranjani Akhara where he was made Mahamandaleshwar on Sunday. One thing that sets him apart from other Akhara saints is that he is the son of a former US Army commander. Vyasanand Giri does not answer any questions on this subject, but Mahant Ravindra Puri of Panchayati Akhara Shri Niranjani confirmed that this is true.
He told PTI, “He is Tom, son of a former senior commander of the US Army and was doing a good job in an IT company. But he felt such a passion for spirituality that he decided to give up everything.”
Tom was made Mahamandaleshwar
Elaborating on Tom’s spiritual journey of becoming Mahamandaleshwar Vyasananda Giri, Puri said, “Tom used to work in the IT sector. After some time, his inclination towards spirituality increased and he decided to adopt Sanatan Dharma and ultimately took retirement. He started doing yoga and meditation, did a lot of research on Hindutva and Sanatani culture. He used to frequently visit Rishikesh and meet me for the last few years.”
He revealed that after a spiritual ceremony on Sunday, he gave Tom a new name as Vyasanand Giri and performed Pattabhishekam as Mahamandaleshwar.
Many foreigners are better than us: Puri
Puri, president of the Akhara Parishad, said, “It means that one has awakened the soul, has mastered meditation and yoga and has learned to control the senses. This designation means that he is ready to sacrifice even his life to protect Sanatana Dharma and with the belief that Tom is ready for his spiritual journey, we performed his Pattabhishek.”
When asked how can foreigners be made Mahants if they adopt Hindu customs, he said, “It is not so. Many of these foreigners are better than us. When they go into meditation, they become immersed in it.”
He said, “We have seen that many Indians get disturbed by mosquito bites and start feeling sleepy while meditating. Whereas in Tom’s case we found that he can meditate for a long time.
30 Mahamandaleshwar built in five years
When asked how many Mahamandaleshwars were built by Niranjani Akhara since the 2019 Kumbh, he said, “I think we have built 30 Mahamandaleshwars so far. Tom is one of the five-six foreigners from countries like America and Malaysia.”
He said that many foreigners who believe in different religions are inspired by Sanatan all over the world and that is why they are adopting Sanatan Dharma and feel that they are returning to their roots.
He said, “There are many such Muslims also, out of which about 100 have contacted me. He wants to become a monk after adopting Sanatan Dharma. I get hundreds of calls from non-Hindus.”
(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by the NDTV team and is published directly from a syndicated feed.)
