The fall of that peacock-of-a-guru, Swami Nithyananda, is beginning to look positively apocalyptic in its scope according to this missive from the scene:
Normally quiet and placid types have been very irate and pissed off about Nithyananda in Tiruvannamalai. Basically, the land (for his new ashram) was supposedly donated by a devotee, as it is illegal to buy and sell land on the mountain. However, it's been alleged a massive under-the-counter payment was made for that 'donation'.Wow! That makes quite a list:
Last spring, a team of workers appeared and deforested the site in a quick and brutal fashion, with no regard for the plants and animals that lived there, (possibly even some endangered species.) No one has ever been this disrespectful to the legacy of Ramana Maharshi before with regard to his beloved Arunachala and its environment.
Construction on the site was completed very quickly. There were plans for a 108-foot shiva lingam, but locals protested. That height would exceed the height of the lingam in the main temple, which would be thought of as disrespectful. In what could only be a gesture of defiance against the local community and their wishes, Nithyananda had the lingam built 108-feet into the ground. People have been told if they donate 10,000 rupees, their name will be inscribed on the underground lingam. Additionally, the ashram plot is full of shiva lingams, about a 100 or more, but no one knows why or what they are for.
Many of the locals are saying they don't find his ashram to be a very harmonious presence in the community. There are constant complaints about the noise pollution, with loud speakers blasting very, very loud music onto the Pradakshina Road at all times of day and night. When people complain, they are met with a sympathetic response and promises to rectify things, followed by a complete lack of action and even more noise. The ashram is said to be a chaotic place, where it's very hard to find exactly who is in charge. When further complaints are made, the ashramites are known to lie and blame the neighboring temples.
Inside the ashram, there are bulletin boards telling the story of Nithyananda's life, making many fantastic and controversial claims and basically mythologizing the long-haired guru as a messiah figure. He is said to be reinforcing this image by performing traditional religious rituals in reverse.
What seems to make people angry is that great souls like Ramana were totally humble in the presence of Arunachala. The locals believe Nithyananda is someone with siddhas, but he's also widely-regarded as corrupt, and with thousands of devotees to call upon, powerful in a way that some find dangerous.
- Nithyananda obtains land on a holy mountain, possibly by dubious means
- He destroys critical natural habitat on that mountain so he can build his ashram
- He proposes to build a monument (seemingly to himself), yet meets local opposition, so he builds it anyway, underground
- He has the audacity to sell inscriptions on that underground monument
- He indulges in shameless miracle-mongering
- He shows little respect for the local community, or the memory of Ramana Maharishi
