Email: barbara@motilalbooks.com
Call us: 01727761677
Email: barbara@motilalbooks.com
Call us: 01727761677
by Priyanka Pathak-Narain | £13.99 paperback | ISBN: 9789386228383 | Juggernaut
God Man To Tycoon: The Untold Story Of Baba Ramdev, by Priyanka Pathak-Marain is one of the most controversial biographical books to come out of India this year – and it’s selling like hot cakes. Everywhere, that is, except India itself, where it was banned in August this year by the courts.
Title – Godman To Tycoon; The Untold Story Of Baba Ramdev
Author – Priyanka Pathak-Narain
ISBN – 9789386228383
Price – £11.00
An appeal on the basis of free speech is under way currently……….. More on that later…
For now, let’s discuss what the fuss is all about. Who is Baba Ramdev and why does he stir up such strong feelings? To understand this it is worth explaining the cultural significance of gurus and spiritual teachers in Indian culture. Despite widespread secularisation, and perhaps in reaction to it, many yoga teachers and spiritual figures enjoy huge popularity and attract tens of thousands of devoted followers. This draws on the tradition where the custom is to learn about the meaning of life from the family guru, and the ancient Sanskrit literatures which still play an important role in a person’s life. Radio, TV and social media have encouraged the spread of this tradition by guru’s and religious preachers, with some figures becoming hugely famous within India and beyond, such as baba ramdev.
These popular gurus are without exception larger-than-life characters. Many are genuinely spiritual and committed to their disciples, while others seem to use their position for personal gain. The acts of Indian gurus have always attracted attention, some looking to be provocative and eccentric – this is seen to be part of the teaching – so the borderline between egotistic self-aggrandisement and exemplary behaviour is often blurred.
Some gurus have become extremely wealthy men, paralleling the rise of TV evangelists in the United States. Baba Ramdev is one of the most charismatic and notorious of the contemporary celebrity gurus. Apparently his outgoing, vivacious personality covers up a dark closet of personal secrets, including the grisly deaths of close disciples, false miracles and alleged financial misconduct.
God Man To Tycoon is a fast paced, entertaining read that at times seems too strange to be true. Could someone write this character if it were fiction? Get hold of a copy of this enjoyable and controversial book to find out.
On hearing of the publication of God Man To Tycoon, an unauthorised biography, Baba Ramdev was none too pleased. In fact, he was so enraged that he sought and achieved an injunction from a court in Delhi restraining its sale within India. India is a country that has always valued freedom of speech, so we can only hope this judgement is quickly overturned. In the meantime, however, order your copies through Motilal book and READ FOR YOURSELF what the fuss is all about! It is expected a re-printing with the offending parts removed will be available in the future, but get your uncensored copy while stocks last!
God Man To Tycoon is one of over 16,000 titles we keep in stock at our warehouse here in the UK, with another 700 –2,000 new Indian titles released each month.
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