Bihar: Sri Sri Ravishankar weaves fantastic tale for 2029 elections

People of Bihar are ‘sweet and pious’. Art of Living will build a ‘world class’ university if the Bihar government provides land. Those questioning Sanatan dharma are fools. These are only some of the public statements made by ‘spiritual guru’ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar during his ongoing visit to Bihar. The Art of Living founder has been on a five-day tour of the state since 7 March.

Another controversial ‘guru’ Bageshwar Baba, who advocated cow urine as a cure for cancer and the foundation stone of whose ambitious cancer hospital project was laid by PM Narendra Modi in January in Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh, is also on a five-day tour of the state.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, known for hosting spectacular and glamourous events, duly showcased a thousand women performing a folk dance from Mithila on a specially built stage at Patna's Gandhi Maidan, known more for political rallies.

The most breathtaking claim he made, however, was while unveiling a Shivling, which he claimed the invading army of Mahmud Ghazni had desecrated while sacking the temple of Somnath in Gujarat all the way back in 1026 AD. In the centuries to come, the temple's sacred Shivling was kept in the safe custody of the family of one of the temple's south Indian priests. Said family continued worshipping the Shivling in secret until one of its members showed it to the Shankaracharya of Kanchi in 1924.

The Shankaracharya swore him to secrecy and advised him to keep the secret until 2024 when, he predicted, the Ram Mandir would be built at Ayodhya. Once the temple was constructed, the priest was advised to hand it over to a spiritual ‘guru’ based in Bengaluru city. And that is how the sacred jyotirlinga came into Sri Sri's possession, Art of Living spokespersons claimed at a media briefing in Patna.

The hitherto missing jyotirlinga will now be taken around the country before it is reinstalled in Somnath after consultations with PM Modi. Not surprisingly, the ceremony is planned for sometime around 2028, ahead of the next general election in 2029.

The fantastic claim by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is being contested by sceptics, though. The reconstructed Somnath temple, they recall, was formally inaugurated on 11 May 1951, following a two-month delay caused by the passing of Sardar Vallabhbai Patel. It was attended, among others, by President Dr Rajendra Prasad. Why did the south Indian priest not think it fit to reinstall the jyotirlinga at the temple then? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has the answer, of course. Remember the priest was asked by the Shankaracharya to keep the secret until 2024?

Is it legal, however, for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to possess anything of such antiquity and archaeological value? According to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, any artefact that is at least 100 years old must be registered with the Archaeological Survey of India after its authenticity is established. Antiquity is also tested by carbon dating methods, and there are restrictions on their possession, exhibition and movement.

What is even more controversial is the claim that the jyotirlinga was tinkered with in 2007 to bring it back to shape. This effectively would rule out the possibility of carbon dating to judge its authenticity. Tinkering with archaeological remains and artefacts is a criminal offence under the Act. It also seems clear that no permission was acquired and no process followed before knocking it back to shape. The offence can attract imprisonment for a minimum period of six months, going up to three years.

This is not the first time Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has courted controversy and defied the law. In 2016, he had ignored a National Green Tribunal directive against holding a ‘cultural extravaganza’ on the floodplains of the Yamuna in Delhi. Directed to pay a fine of Rs 5 crore, he initially refused to deposit the money but was persuaded to relent.

The political motivation — some are already calling it mischief — of the spiritual guru is obvious to some. It remains to be seen if questions are asked in Parliament, what reply the government offers, and if it decides to take the jyotirlinga into its possession and prevent its political use.