Prem Rawat (Prem Pal Singh Rawat) whose devotees call him Maharaji (meaning Ultimate Ruler) first came to attention in the West as Guru Maharaj Ji - the self-proclaimed Perfect Master and Lord of the Universe - ridiculed in the media as a fat, squeaky-voiced God boy. He had inherited his titles and position as the Satguru, The True Revealer of Light and Spiritual Master of the Divine Light Mission, India (Divya Sandesh Parishad) when his father died in 1966. His father, Hans Rawat, was a successful Indian guru, self titled HRH (His Royal Highness) Yogiraj Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. As a child the youngest Rawat son was informally called Sant Ji, more formally Balyogeshwar ("Born King of the Yogis") and even more formally Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Sant Ji Maharaj. In the West Rawat dropped these more verbose titles in the early 1980's and instructed his followers to call him Maharaji. He has also changed the names of his organisations many times: Divine Light Mission (DLM), World Welfare Association (WWA), World Peace Corps (WPC) and Divine United Organisation (DUO) became Elan Vital in the early 1980's and in 2001 The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) was created and from 2010 his major orgs are Words Of Peace Global (WOPG) registered in Holland, Words of Peace International (WOPI) in the USA, HDSK (Human Development through Self Knowledge) in Great Britain and Raj Vidya Kender (Royal Knowledge Society) in India. He no longer claims to be an Incarnation of God but an internationally famous humanitarian leader and teacher of peace. He's neither.
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File); Nov 27, 1972; ProQuest Historical Newspapers Los Angeles Times (1881 - 1985) pg. A13
HARDWAR, India (UPI) - Judy Maurer, 23, of San Jose; Calif., said Sunday, the three weeks she has spent here worshiping 14-year old guru Maharaj Ji have been "totally blissful."
Miss Maurer is one of about 2,500 young foreigners camped here. Most are Americans.
She said she plans to spread the "perfect knowledge" Maharaj Ji has given her "to the world because everyone needs it to be free."
Miss Maurer spends her days taking care of children in "Kid City," the camp's kindergarten. Many young foreign couples brought small children with them when they came to India to greet Maharaj Ji after his tour abroad.
The young yogi was not in the camp Sunday.
"He hasn't eaten anything for three days," said Arthur Brigham, 22, of Denver.
Fasting?
"No," said Brigham."He's sick."
"He's having trouble with his liver," Dr. Edward Hanzelik of Brooklyn, one of the camp physicians, said.
As for the guru's followers, "We've been treating a lot of dysentery and colds," Hanzelik said, "and there have been some emotional problems."
He said the problems occurred "mostly in people who want to get closer to the perfect knowledge. When they are not close to the knowledge, they get depressed and unhappy," he said.
The devotees keep a busy schedule, rising at 4 a.m. for two hours of meditation before breakfast, one of the two meals of the day, both meatless.
All of the followers have regular duties in camp such as cooking, laundering, folding leaflets and working in such establishments as the "Divine Bank," where devotees change dollars to rupees at the legal rate of exchange.
Tammy Clemens, 22, a pretty blonde from Providence, R.I., runs the "Divine Employment Agency," which places the devotees in camp jobs. "I received knowledge nine months ago," said Miss Clemens, who studied art at Brown University and works as a draftsman. "Things have become clearer to me. I have learned patience."
Miss Jean Obert, 23, of Villa Grande, Calif., said "it's been good and bad. The bad things have been my own little freak-outs."
She explained that she had at times been depressed when she did not feel in complete tune with Maharaj Ji.
In New Delhi, 120 miles to the southwest, customs officials were still doing some meditating of their own about Maharaj Ji.
The Guru's critics claim he should be charged with attempting to bring into the country on Nov. 1 about $80,000 worth of undeclared currency, precious stones and watches.
Prem Rawat's "Knowledge" has three parts: regularly listening to his speeches, doing voluntary work for organisations serving him or donating money and daily meditation correctly practicing the four techniques he recommends. The techniques are so simple it's hard to see how they could be practiced incorrectly. First technique ("Divine Light") involves sticking your thumb and middle finger on your eyeballs (NB: with eyes closed) and your index finger between your eyebrows. Second technique: ("Heavenly Music") poking your thumbs into your ears and listening. Third technique: ("Holy Name") thinking about your breathing (NB: continue to breathe). Fourth technique: ("Nectar") curling your tongue backwards and tasting. Rawat's father taught slightly different techniques but either way it's difficult to see how these could produce the benefits claimed for them especially as Rawat claims His Knowledge is the only method of attaining real happiness and love in this life.