Ashutosh Maharaj body completes year in freezer

On January 29, the DJJS management hired two portable mortuary chambers from Nurmahal-based Baba Bhooth Nath Mandir Committee (which they admitted after much denial). Ashutosh’s body was shifted to the air-conditioned chamber to simulate “Himalayan-type sub-zero temperatures where sadhus and yogis of India usually go into samadhi”.

On December 14, 2014, days before the deadline set by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to perform Ashutosh’s last rites, dera officials organised a big ‘bhandara’ (community feast). At the satsang, each speaker reassured the thousands of devotees that “Maharaj is alive and he will be back” and sang bhajans titled “Mera Ashu ayega” (my Ashu will come back). They also appealed to the devotees to send missed calls to a number to strengthen the “Preserve the samadhi” campaign.