From Totapuri to Maharaji (Prem Rawat)? Reflections on a Lineage (Parampara)

Abstract

This chapter shows that various scholars who identify Maharaji’s roots as Sant Mat are mistaken. Moreover, it shows that a more accurate exploration of Maharaji’s historical background provides an excellent opportunity to study the complexity of the various ways of organising such lineages and can demonstrate how major strands of Hinduism can interweave with each other to create new paradigms to assert an ancient teaching capable of transcending discrete religious borders. The investigation of lineage further highlights the relationship between charisma and institutionalisation in the Indian context and allows for a revisiting of Gold’s classification of Sant tradition in particular.