INDIA: THOUSANDS ATTEND RALLY TO HONOUR 14-YEAR-OLD BOY GURU REGARDED AS GOD BY HIS FOLLOWERS

Record ID: 215599

  • Title: INDIA: THOUSANDS ATTEND RALLY TO HONOUR 14-YEAR-OLD BOY GURU REGARDED AS GOD BY HIS FOLLOWERS
  • Date: 11th November 1972
  • Summary: 1. CU Portrait of Guru, ZOOM OUT to GV Welcoming archway 0.06 2. MVs Guru arrives, mounts platform, PAN to crowd (3 shots) 0.26 3. CU Guru seated, ZOOM OUT to MV 0.40 4. CU Loudspeakers 0.42 5. MV Guru walks towards adherents, waves (4 shots 1.07 6. GV Crowd 1.19 7. GV, ZOOM into SV Guru seated 1.15 Initials ESP/2222
  • Embargoed: 26th November 1972 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DELHI, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Reuters ID: LVA97GSEHT27RGQQIN3G48IXSU14
  • Story Text: Thousands of people flocked to Delhi for the three-day Hans Jayanti Festival, at which they showed their devotion to Guru Maharaj Ji, a 14-year-old.boy they regard as God. Over 3,000 of the worshippers - they call themselves Premis, which means "lovers" - came from abroad in eight specially-chartered aircraft.

    The Guru assumed the title of Satguru ("Perfect Master", "He who can give God-Realisation") at the death in 1966 of his father, who previously held the title and founded the Divine Light Mission which organises the followers. The Mission has become world-wide and includes 30,000 followers in the United States and 6,000 in the United Kingdom. The movement has vowed to establish "ashrams" (spiritual centres) in the USSR and The People's Republic of China in 1973. The organisation has many resources, including its own film team and a bank where devotees deposit all their wealth. The movement is reputed to be very wealthy. When the Guru visited the US earlier this month, customs officials seized undeclared money and jewellery worth 33,000 pounds sterling (79,000 US dollars) which he was carrying.

    SYNOPSIS: A fourteen-year-old "boy-God" was honoured at a three-day festival in Delhi on Friday.

    Three thousand people had flown from abroad to join the thousands of Indians waiting to honour Guru Mahar Ji, whom they regard as the satguru, or Perfect Master.

    The Guru became the incarnation of God, according to his followers, when he was eight years old, at the death of his father, the previous holder of the title. His father had founded the Divine Light Mission, to spread the word of God by every means.

    The Guru now has followers throughout most of the world, and the Divine Light Mission says it will become established in the Soviet Union and The People's Republic of China in 1973
    The organisation is said to be very wealthy. It chartered eight airliners for the festival, and even has it own bank.
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