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Wednesday, February 25, 2026
TopicGodmen

Topic: Godmen

What sets Premanand Maharaj apart—‘doesn’t sell miracles’, a celebrity favourite

Premanand Maharaj’s popularity stems not just from his soft-spoken sermons, but also from his positioning as a ‘progressive baba’ — one who supports love and inter-caste marriages, and gives logical, non-ritualistic advice.

Ananya Panday is the latest star to flaunt her ‘guruji’. It signals India’s crisis of faith

Seeking spiritual guidance is nothing to be frowned upon. But the masses flocking to babas should also be read as a symptom of a larger problem—India’s crisis of faith.

‘Who is Bhole Baba’, ‘what caused Hathras stampede’—and why was TV news so late to report

'Your children died right before your eyes?' an ANI reporter asked a woman. Such insensitive reporting of the ‘UP Stampede Horror’ was as shocking as the indifference of the organisers of the satsang.

Jay Shetty’s fake origins don’t matter to his Instagram cult. They just want ‘meaning’

Most influencers are modern-day godmen and snake-oil salesmen riding on our insecurity and peddling fake dreams. Jay Shetty is just the latest to be called out.

Why godmen seem to get away with murder in Punjab and Haryana

North India has emerged as the epicentre of colourful and blingy babas who make practice of religion simpler, with fewer lifestyle restrictions.

Asaram found guilty: Who is the controversial ‘godman’ and what is the case about?

Self-styled 'godman' Asaram has been found guilty of raping a teenager in 2013 in his ashram. ThePrint looks at the case and Asaram's controversial past. 

Godmen chant Modi mantra in poll-bound Gujarat

Gujarat BJP has been posting videos of religious and spiritual gurus praising PM Narendra Modi, and asking their followers to 'strengthen his hands'.

Laws repealed, but rape victims continue to face humiliating questions

Experts say defence lawyers always find ways to skirt around cross-examination regulations.

Talk Point: What are the lessons from the violence after Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction

An expert panel also offers tips on how such instances of violence can be prevented in the future.

Clueless in Babaland: Ram Rahim to ‘Freezer Baba’, how ‘godmen’ cast a spell over Punjab & Haryana

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, now out on parole ahead of elections yet again, is just the most colourful and blingy of north India's 'godmen'.

On Camera

Kerala, Keral, Keralam. I’m a Malayali and the name change is more annoyance than pride

North Indians are so used to dropping the ‘A’ at the end of Kerala. Now they have to train themselves to add another letter.

‘Dark chapter’ over, Chhattisgarh budget sets Naxal hotbed Bastar on path to ‘education cities’ & tourism

The Vishnu Deo Sai government's 2026-27 budget outlined a post-Naxal era vision for Chhattisgarh's tribal-majority belts of Bastar & Surguja. Finance Minister OP Choudhary presented it Tuesday.

Decoding India’s defence budget & how various govts struggled to spend it—from UPA to NDA

Every February, headlines focus on defence budget allocation. But real question is—how much money was actually spent & why did promise-delivery gap widen in some years, narrow in others?

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.