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.

Guru is now U.S. citizen

DENVER (UPI) — Guru Maharaj Ji, the chubby 19-year-old leader of a religious movement which claims 3 million followers worldwide, is now a citizen of the United States. He says the feeling is "beautiful."

In unnanounced ceremonies Tuesday, the leader of the Divine Light Mission appeared before a federal court judge and swore allegiance to the U.S.

It was the latest incident in his Americanization, which already has resulted in a dispute with his mother about his growing tastes for fast cars, pizza and gold watches.

THE GURU'S mother, Rajeshwari Devi, and his brother, Bal Bhagwan Ji, controlled the religious movement until the guru's 16th birthday. Shortly after that the disputes started.

"He has adopted a despicable, nonspiritual way of life," the guru's mother once said. "And his followers in America are spoiling him."

The short, stocky guru was dressed in a dark, three-piece, pin-striped suit when he appeared to be sworn in. He decided to keep the name he had in his native Hardwar, Prem Pal Singh Rawat

"IT SEEMED that now was as good a time as any," the guru said, when asked why he became a U.S. citizen. He described his new citizenship as "beautiful."

The guru refused to make any other statements on the citizenship ceremonies, which were attended by his American wife, Marolyn; his brother, Raja Ji; his sister-in-law, Claudia, and about a dozen Divine Light associates who protected him from onlookers.

The oath of citizenship did not include the usual sections involving the bearing of arms and noncombative service in the armed forces. Those were deleted due to the guru's religious beliefs.

THE GURU, who has a permanent $100,000 home in Denver as well as a $550,000 estate in Malibu, Calif., filed for citizenship under a law permitting persons married to U.S. citizens to be naturalized after three years.

Maharaj Ji has been a permanent resident for four years and has lived in the United States periodically since 1972.

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.