Here, villagers do not pine over spirituality. Unlike nirvana-seeking foreigners, they are eager for a slice of the material pie. May be, the quest for truth can wait. Swami Nithyananda Ashram in Bidadi has been offering spiritual solace to many over the years.
But folks in villages such as Rairadoddi, Kariyappanadoddi, Heggadagare, Dasappanadoddi, Puttiramanadoddi and Urugalli, in close proximity to Nithyananda Ashram, are sulking that there has been little change in their lives despite the daily discourses.
Villagers say roads, electricity and water were gifts bestowed by JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy. In Rairadoddi, Krishnappa, a villager, says: “Occasionally, the ashram authorities announce anna dana (free meal). That’s the only time when we are allowed inside the ashram.”
Manjula, who runs a roadside teashop in Heggadagare, is disillusioned with the ashram. “Around January 1 — Swamiji’s birthday — every year, they announce the anna dana. It’s plain rice and saaru (curry), but free meal always find a crowd,” she says.
Manjula was part of Shreeshakti, a woman’s group.. “They promised each of us (about 20 members) Rs5,000, at a negligible interest, to start an enterprise. But what we got was Rs5,000 for the whole group, too little a capital to start any venture,” says she.
Manjula says she had worked at the ashram for a while. “We were looked upon as scum while foreigners were treated as royalty. We were paraded around whenever they have dignitaries visiting, to show that the ashram is helping the poor.” Nanjudaswamy, her neighbour, adds: “They say the ashram has adopted our village.
Yes, they have built a room for our primary school and given free books for students once a year.” Manjula’s daughter, Rani, a Class 7 student, says the ashram had given uniforms to students three years ago.
It seems, Swami Nithyananda does not have too many devotees among the villagers. The few who used to work at the ashram are embarrassed at the sex tape scandal. “Now if our daughters want to visit the ashram, we can’t let them. It’s a disgrace,” says Nagamma of Dasappanadoddi.
A few villagers complain of losing their land as well. Ramanna, whose land borders the ashram premises, says: “The ashram has encroached upon my land. I have the documents, but when I try to meet them, I am sent away.”
The locals are allowed to worship at the Muneeshwara devasthana inside the ashram premises though. “Ashram authorities know that barring us from praying would cause uproar,” he says. H Nagaraj, panchayat president of Heggadagare, has another take. He says anna dana at the ashram is a regular affair. He talks of free medical camps for all, regular free books, uniforms for children. Nagaraj says the ashram has spent Rs6 lakh on the school building, and it was the police, guarding the ashram gates, who bar locals. He says uniforms were distributed for free to 150 autodrivers but a driver laughed it off as a joke.
“A few here obviously benefited from the ashram. Unfortunately, they are the rich, who don’t really need any help,” says Manjula.
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