ALLAHABAD, INDIA, February 11, 2008: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was cremated Monday in a tumultuous ceremony at one of Hinduism’s holiest sites. His funeral, on the banks of the Ganges in Allahabad, saw his foreign following outnumbering Indians.
The funeral was a mix of ancient Vedic tradition, modern Indian chaos and Hollywood-style theatrics. Thousands of flag-waving followers beating drums, clanging cymbals and chanting hymns carried the flower-covered body from the Maharishi’s ashram to a hilltop. Baton-wielding police couldn’t stop a surge of followers who broke through their cordon while the body was being carried. A helicopter swooped in low, stirring up huge dust clouds and scattering posters of the guru as it dropped a scarlet cloud of rose petals.
The body was cremated on a pyre, sitting in a lotus position. Contrary to Hindu tradition, the Maharishi’s ashes were not immersed in the Ganges, but will be kept at a memorial to be built at the cremation site.
Today, TM has more than 5 million practitioners. Maharishi’s successor is Maharaj Raja Ram, a Lebanese-born follower.