Paramhamsa Nithyananda, born A. Rajasekaran in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, around 1977-78, founded Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam in 2003, an organization that grew to operate temples, gurukuls and ashrams across multiple countries before becoming the subject of serious criminal allegations that have made him, by most accounts, one of the most legally embattled figures among contemporary Indian spiritual teachers.
Early organizational growth
Nithyananda built his following through public discourses, meditation programs and claimed healing abilities, with his organization's own materials describing him as having helped thousands of followers with ailments ranging from depression to cancer. His teaching activity expanded internationally over the 2000s and 2010s, and he developed a substantial media presence, including a YouTube channel with several hundred thousand subscribers featuring talks on yoga, meditation, and a range of unconventional scientific and pseudo-scientific claims that drew considerable attention from mainstream Indian media.
Kailaasa Nation
In December 2019, Nithyananda claimed that he had created a new "Hindu nation" microstate called Kailaasa (also known as Shrikailasa, Kailasa, and United States of Kailaasa) and claimed to issue passports, currency, and other documents. Nithyananda claims that Kailaasa is the world's only sovereign Hindu nation. Kailaasa has also been described as a network of non-governmental organisations spanning three continents.
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