19 January 1990: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, spiritual guru, died

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 1/19/2022 12:46:37 PM

An Indian spiritual teacher who had followers from around the world, Acharya Rajneesh was born Chandra Mohan Jain on December 11, 1931 in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district. Variously known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Osho and Bhagwan, he died on January 19, 1990 in Pune. The eldest of 11 children of Babulal and Saraswati Jain, Rajneesh was raised by his maternal grandparents till he was seven years old. At school be became known for his debating skills. He studied at two colleges in Jabalpur but reportedly had differences with his teachers and instructors and stopped attending lectures. He also worked part time in a newspaper as an assistant editor and started speaking at annual religious gatherings at Jabalpur. After securing his Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from D.N. Jain College he studied for an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Sagar and obtained the degree in 1957. The following year he started lecturing in philosophy at Jabalpur University, and became a professor in 1960. He developed a reputation of being a charismatic and intelligent teacher. He also started travelling across the country and gave lectures in favour of capitalism and modern science, criticising the orthodoxy in Indian religions. He started meditation camps in 1962 and his popularity and following, especially among the rich business community, increased. In 1966 he left his teaching job and begins to address gatherings of thousands of people in maidans in major cities. His public statements on the need for greater acceptance of sex and critical views on Hinduism ignited a lot of controversy in late 1960s. In 1970 Rajneesh left for Mumbai where he initiated his first disciples who assumed new names and wore orange robes. Among his prominent early disciples was Laxmi Thakarsi Kuruwa who came from a wealthy family and assumed the name of Ma Yoga Laxmi. She was also his personal secretary. Towards the end of 1970 the first Westerners started visiting him in Mumbai. He cut down on public appearances and began to be called Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. In 1974 he shifted to Pune’s Koregaon Park in land bought with the help of one of his foreign disciples that was converted to an ashram. Rajneesh stayed and taught here till 1981. The ashram became a major centre of meditation, later expanding into a performance, theatre and merchandise centre. Members of the Human Potential Movement joined the ashram shortly after it was established, leading to holding of group and other therapies at the centre.

 

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