HARIDWAR, INDIA, November 3, 2011 (ians live): They come here from Russia, Malaysia, Belarus, South Korea and the U.S., lured by Hinduism which they say answers questions that have plagued them for years.
Foreigners flocking to Haridwar, one of the holiest Hindu holy spots, are mostly the educated, both men and women, from all parts of the globe, and have a spiritual commitment that amazes many Indians.
“Today the Orthodox Church in Russia is like the old Communist rulers,” said Moscow resident Victor Shevtsov. “They don’t allow questions. They don’t reply to questions. You have to obey them. This repels many.” “Here, in India and in the East, religious leaders talk to you, they answer questions.”
Like so many foreigners, Dasom Her, a 22-year-old South Korean who studies here, was floored after reading “Autobiography of a Yogi”, a gem in spiritual literature that Paramhansa Yogananda authored in 1946 and which still sells.