One of the most important factors in the early success of DLM were the large number of Indian 'mahatmas', supposedly celibate men and women who lived in ashrams and dedicated their lives to practice and proselytisation of the "Knowledge".

The idealistic and ignorant young Westerners believed these people to be "liberated", "realised souls", "yogis", "swamis", etc. They were thought to be above normal consciousness and to exist on a higher plane. And certainly the few mahatmas that came to Australia put on a pretty convincing show in this regard.

Prem Rawat preached that only mahatmas were able to "reveal Knowledge" ie Guru Maharaj Ji gave them the connection to Him that allowed the grace to initiate people. On a more mundane level, it was a reasonably time-consuming process and many mahatmas were required to indoctrinate and initiate the tens of thousands of Westerners that DLM claimed as members.

Many of the Western premies had their beliefs about mahatmas challenged when they learned that a mahatma, Mahatma Fakiranand, had nearly bludgeoned the journalist and merry prankster, Pat Halley, to death with a hammer for throwing a shavingcream pie into Maharaji's face in Detroit in 1973. They had to change their beliefs about mahatmas when all but a handful returned to India and remained loyal to Rawat's mother after she disinherited Him for his playboy lifestyle. After all, they couldn't have higher spiritual experience if they accepted Prem Rawat, the Perfect Master and Lord of the Universe as just the naughty little boy who'd got lost in maya of sex, drink, drugs and being a playboy.

Those who remained loyal included Mahatmas Gurucharnanand and Sampurnanand who had both been heavily involved in the proclamation of Prem Rawat as the new Perfect Master on the death of his father. They are seen in this photo flanking the young Prem Rawat who pretends to play the flute and is dressed in the costume his father would wear when posing as Krishna. Sampuranand led the Rav Vidya Kender (DUO) in India after Rawat was unable to regain the Divine Light Mission properties in the Indian courts and was still testifying for Rawat in the Passages video. As of 2008 Gurucharnanand, or Abhay Charan - golfer and tennis player, is still touring for Rawat though he did not remain a celibate monk all those years.

Mahatma Padarthanand also returned to India working for Rawat and became a hirsute householder. Mahatma Rajeshwaranand remained loyal to Prem Rawat. Mahatma Gitanand, who had spent considerable time in Europe was known to have worked in a bakery in Frankfurt around 1980 (Ash, XPF, 30/8/9). Mahatma Gyanyoganand was disillusioned with both of the brothers and went back to India to teach hatha Yoga (Mike Finch, XPF, 30/8/9). Mohani Bai married a German premie and teaches Indian chant.

The mahatma who was probably closest to Prem Rawat was Mahatma Jagdeo. He lived in the Malibu mansion and for many years had a special service overseeing the educational facilities of Divine Light Mission. It was later revealed he was a paedophile who took advantage of his position to sexually abuse some of the children in these schools.

When the organisation was challenged about these events, they first tried to ignore the accusations, ?????. Jagdeo was returned to India where he was protected within the Raj Vidya Kender infrastructure.

Jagdeo also supervised the training of the Western initiators for some years. In the photo he is seen at the back of an early group of Western devotees "training" to become "initiators".