NTRUTH-003-003-000: Attack on 100+ Centers Worldwide (Part 1)

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03 March 2010 - A brief encounter with the Assassins near Salem Aadheenam

The Sanyasis arrive safely in Salem Aadheenam with His Divine Holiness

**3 March 2010 :**They were hounding Him to KILL Him. The Sanyasis who left the Tiruvannamalai Aadheenam with His Divine Holiness in a small inconspicuous vehicle, headed straight to the Salem Aadheenam (temple-monastery complex in Salem), three and a half hours away. Throughout the journey, their prayers were that no one should catch wind of them or follow them. They reached Salem safely at around 11 pm.

Upon reaching Salem, they emptied the vehicle of the belongings, but kept them in a state of readiness, so they could move again without loss of time if needed. Their immediate concerns were two-fold: One, the life of His Divine Holiness, and second, He had not eaten anything in the last 10 hours. Not that there was no food in the Tiruvannamalai Aadheenam but they could not pack any of it in the hurry in which they left the place.

The Sanyasis told the Salem aadheenavasis (residents) to prepare food for His Divine Holiness. They prepared food and it was served to Him. The Sanyasis felt one part of the heaviness lifting off after being able to feed Him. They were constantly in touch with co-Sanyasis in Bidadi (Bengaluru) and other places, getting information about what was happening in each place. It was late into the night, almost 12 o'clock midnight. They took turns in keeping awake. It was important for them to rest too, as they did not know where they might have to move next in the wake of the outbreak.

Enriching everyday socio-spiritual services at the Salem Aadheenam

They decided to relocate again for the safety of His Divine Holiness

His Divine Holiness rested for barely a few hours. At around 5 am, the Sanyasis decided that it was not good to be in the same location for one full night and day, and that it is better to move. While they were discussing, He expressed that He wanted to go to the Bengaluru Aadheenam, the spiritual headquarters. The Sanyasis were dismayed.

How to enter the Bengaluru Aadheenam amidst the heat of what was happening? They could not even dream of it. But they knew one thing: if He wanted it, theirs was to make it happen, because only He knew best. If there was any attack, it was up to them to encounter it and keep Him safe at the same time. They decided it was best to start as early as possible to avoid too much attention on the road. Bengaluru Aadheenam was four hours away.

The Sanyasis hit the road again with His Divine Holiness

On the 3rd of March at around 6 am, the Sanyasis prepared to leave the Salem Aadheenam, this time in a different vehicle belonging to one of the devotees to protect the identity. They felt it is better to avoid using the same vehicle as that of the previous night. Aadheenavasis were informed to prepare food for carrying.

They quickly loaded the vehicle, brought down His Divine Holiness to the vehicle as well. They left the Salem campus, watched by a group of aadheenavasis and devotees whose hearts did not know whether to rejoice at the unexpected darshan (appearance) of their beloved Guru, or to cry at having the darshan amidst such horrifying circumstances.

The Sanyasis left the Salem Aadheenam and hit the narrow road leading to the highway where two vehicles could just about cross each other.

Mercenary Mob on the very same road

Just a few hundred meters on the road, they saw a furious mob coming in their direction, towards the Aadheenam. They were wielding weapons, carrying petrol bombs, guns, iron rods and raising slogans against the name of His Divine Holiness.

The car was a nondescript vehicle and they kept His Divine Holiness well covered in the back seat. They once again started fervently chanting their prayers and moved closer to the mob and vehicles that were approaching.

Once they were a few meters away, the Sanyasi driving the vehicle increased the speed of the vehicle, getting a good control of the road space and started moving past the approaching assassins as fast as he could.

“It’s Him! Kill Him!”

The group of assassins barely got a look inside the vehicle as it was moving. The vehicle passed by them and gained more speed. But as they were in the tail end of the passing mercenary mob, one in the mob screamed in Tamil, “It’s Him! It’s Him” (referring to His Divine Holiness in disrespectful singular), and they started attacking the vehicle, just as the vehicle accelerated. The mob got left behind. The ones with vehicles

in the mercenary mob, could not turn the vehicles around to chase them because the road was too narrow to make a U-turn.

With their hearts in their mouth they drove ahead

With their hearts in their mouth, the Sanyasis drove in dead silence, till they were convinced that they had moved to real safety away from the assassins. They drove straight towards the Bengaluru Aadheenam.

The furious assassins attack the Salem Aadheenam

The assassins were infuriated that they missed their target with such a narrow gap. With all their fury they reached the gates of the Salem Aadheenam with weapons, ready to enter the temple-monastery complex. In a wild rage, they entered the Aadheenam, and headed to the buildings where the residents were doing the morning puja (ritualistic worship).

This created immediate chaos and panic in the puja hall, where people started screaming, running around, gathering their children and looking where the sound came from, not knowing what was going on. No one was in any way prepared for an attack.

The assassins forced the residents to leave the Aadheenam, man-handled the female Sanyasis and dragged them to the streets, beat them and stripped them of their dignity with onlookers watching or escaping the scene.

Effigies burnt publicly

In various places in the town of Salem out on the streets, effigies of His Divine Holiness

were stamped on and burned in a clear message that they wanted His Divine Holiness dead.

Brutal Attempt to Assassinate Monks of Nithyananda Order

“After a narrow escape at Tiruvannamalai, His Divine Holiness arrived at Salem in search of safety. Over here, he rested for a couple of hours and made his way back to Bengaluru aadheenam. On his way, they were attacked by mercenary vehicles on the road, where they were being pursued. Once again, they narrowly escaped and infuriated by another narrow escape, these thugs made their way back to the Salem aadheenam.

They entered the premises in the dead of the night, after Swamiji had left. A few of us came out to see what the noise was about. Suddenly, they encircled us and began closing in on us. I made my way forward to confront them and they stuffed a ball of cloth into my mouth and I was gagged.

They grabbed me by my mala, choking me, and then shoved me to the side, against a wall. One of the men sat on my chest, crushing and breaking my ribs, cutting off my breath. I violently gasped for breath. When they smashed my head against the wall, my blood splattered all over the wall. It seemed as if they derived some sadistic pleasure from watching my blood pour out as they beat me. As we were outnumbered, our attempts to fight back were useless. They laughed at our feeble attempts as they continued to torment us.

With each punch to the gut, I became more and more uneasy until I vomited out everything in my stomach. Spitting in my face, he told me in Tamil that I was a worthless dog who deserved to die.

It was horrifying to facethis, and to see my other Sanyasi brothers and sister being abused in a similar fashion. It took us a long time to physically recover from these injuries.”

• Sri Nithya Yogananda, monk

Below are some of the Newspaper articles (physical copies as well as online) that presented the above news, spreading it virally in the minds of people every time.

Assassins try to Burn Him Alive in Bengaluru Aadheenam

A safe entry into Bengaluru Aadheenam, spiritual headquarters

**3 March 2010:**His Divine Holiness along with the group of sanyasis reached Bengaluru Aadheenam from Salem on the morning of 3rd March. The Sanyasis entered the aadheenam through the less used side gate which has closer proximity to the highway. They arrived and settled His Divine Holiness inside the quarters that was linked to the side exit. They then assisted Him in freshening up. He did not want to eat anything. They saved His meal that was packed in Salem and they themselves quickly ate the food that they had brought

from there.

Rape of Female Monk of Nithyananda Order

“It was 3rd March 2010. It happened in Bengaluru aadheenam. We had rushed to the Ananda Sabha because we thought it was the safest place to be. I couldn’t control my heart rate as we sat restlessly in the hall making no noise even though the silence was so loud.

I remember hearing that it was none other than the police that were attacking us. They were supposed to be the ones protecting us but here they were violating our most basic right to live and be free They shouted catcalls, yelling slurs and used the most vulgar language I have never heard in my life. They began filming us.

One man grabbed me by the waist, with only lust in eyes. I tried with all my might to fight him off but my aggressions just empowered him. He fed off of my weakness.

Five men tied my hands and legs and each took turns raping me. I screamed so loud I could only hear myself and nothing else. After all the screaming, I could only squeak. Every inch of my body was violated. Now, my soul was screaming in every pore of my skin. My face swelled up from their beatings. After the whole attack was over, adheenavasis came looking for us found us all in the horror scene. To this day, there is no justice for what we went through and feels there never will be.”

-Ma Nithya Achalananda

Rape of Female Monk in Bengaluru City

“As the four of us were making our way to the bus stop in the dreadful, desolate night, we heard a car coming up behind us and slumping to a stop.

From nowhere, three men were suddenly behind us pushing us into the car. I tried to run but felt the breath go out of me as one of the men pummeled me in the stomach. Then, as I doubled over, I saw the gun in one of their hands. As they shoved us into the car, the man held the gun to my head. We were too stunned to even shout.

I couldn’t make out any of their faces, and when I opened my mouth to try to yell no sound came out.

I woke up to find myself restrained on a bed in an unidentifiable apartment. I didn’t know where the other girls were. I floated in and out of realisation as they raped me, too debilitated and woozy to push them off. When I woke again, I was alone. Pain shredded through me as I tried to get up and I looked down to see my legs were soaked in blood. I passed out again from the shock and paralysis.

I came to consciousness with another man on top of me, forcefully stabbing me. He taunted me in Tamil, making me to look him in the eyes as he attacked me. I had no idea where the other girls were but I assumed they weren’t far as I could hear their chilling moans. Again, I passed out, unable to even hold myself up.

I forced myself to get up, covered in the sheet, and walked to the nearest apartment. I requested to use the phone without trying to explain myself. They obliged, clearly uncomfortable with my spirit but unsure what to say to me. I called for some credible devotees to pick me up. They demanded that I report the incident but I had heard what happened to other girls who went through similar incidents and knew it would be useless.”

• Ma Nithya Shantananda, female monk of Nithyananda Order

Defiling Temple and Abusing Religious Sentiments

“After the release of the fake video, our aadheenam faced numerous attacks. As the temple priest, I often had to watch them violate our most sacred deities. It was a horrifying sight to see.

When the CID raided the Aadheenam in 2010, looking for Swamiji, they took the opportunity to attack the temple and defile the deities. At the time, I was doing aarti and I did not even hear them coming. Suddenly, I was struck me in the back with a baton and collapsed to the grown, catching my kavi on fire. They watched and laughed as I rolled around trying to put the fire out.

Then, they went on a path of destruction, tearing the clothes off the deities, smearing sewage on them, knocking them over, and beating them senselessly with their batons. I chased them around, trying to make them stop, but they only beat me down and restrained me. I could not bare to watch as they desecrated our deities. Throwing Swamiji’s murthi on the ground, they began stomping on Him with their boots. I begged them to stop but that only encouraged them more.

Finally, after destroying everything in their sight, they stripped down one of the other male sanyasis and tied him to our sacred banyan tree, completely nude. They threw me down and kicked me in the face as they left. I couldn’t control myself --- I began to sob uncontrollably. I thought I was going to go mad after what I had just witnessed. They behaved like savages, destroying everything that I have known as good and holy in this world.”

• Sri Nithya Ambananda, temple priest at Benagluru Aadheenam

Attempts to Murder

“In March, 2010, on the very next day after the fake video was released, all hell broke loose at the Bengaluru Aadheenam. Large mobs and gangsters entered the premises with the pure intention to hurt and mutilate all the people on campus, particularly Swamiji. We were all on red alert since the early hours of 3rd March, on hearing the news that mobs had gathered outside the aadheenam and were trying to get inside.

During the morning, I was near the huts where us brahmacharis lived. Just minutes before, a group of men had thrown petrol bombs into a large hut where Swamiji had been, trying to take his life. Now, I could

see, these same men were advancing towards the brahmacharis hut where I was standing, along with four other brahmacharis. They threw the petrol bombs on us, where the glass shattered and created cuts all over our bodies. Thankfully, none of them were kit, or we would have lost our lives at that very moment.

Struggling to open our eyes and stand up, we tried to find any sticks or rods which would help us defend ourselves. Before we could do this, these men slapped me. I fell to the ground. After this one of the men urinated on my face, and laughed loudly when I tried turning my face away. The wounds on face started to burn.

I managed to pull this man's foot so that he falls down, however this only made him angrier and he immediately got up and kicked me violently, all over my body. Having a small build, this cause severe damage to my bones. My left shoulder bone was broken and dislocated, and I wasn't even able to sit up. They left son after this, and the other male sanyasis with me rushed me to the hospital.”

• Sri Nithya Bhaktimayananda, monk of Nithyananda Order

“Like everyone else, I was walking around campus on March 3rd, ensuring safety and security of the campus. After hearing about so many Sanyasinis getting raped, getting beaten, and abused, I was on edge. It felt like anything could happen at any moment.

Just as I thought that, I stumbled into one of the smaller store rooms, where a strange man was raping one the female sanyasis. I was frozen for a few seconds, but immediately snapped out of it and ran to move him away from her. She was crying profusely and begging for help. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Thankfully, as I attempted to fight this man, he moved his attention from the female sanyasi and she was able to run away in her torn clothes.

In the meanwhile, he began to beat me, and despite my efforts, I was unable to fully shield myself from his brute force. He pushed me so hard on the door, that it broke. While trying to move away from him, my palm pierced a sharp piece of wood. Right then, his friends arrives, and they began kicking me everywhere. I did not realise when, but at some point I fell unconscious.

When I woke up, it was in the same place. Being in a secluded part of the aadheenam, no one had discovered that I was there. My entire body was throbbing in pain. There was dry blood on my face. I had no idea about how much time had passed.

I stumbled to the main campus, and found it to be deserted. Things were scattered everywhere, entire buildings had been put to fire, and it was almost as if everyone had been driven out. I finally found a few sanyasis in one of the halls, sitting in safety. They looked alarmed when I walked in, and immediately had one of the doctors on campus attend to me. However, until the next morning, a first aid kit was all that was available to us.”

• Sri Nithya Nateshananda, monk of Nithyananda order

Raped when Forced to Flee from Monastery

“As the four of us were walking to the bus stop in the funereal, lonely night, we heard a car coming up behind us and slowing to a stop. Then a man’s voice called out to us. I tried to see into the car but couldn’t see anything and quickly turned around to get away.

From nowhere, three men were suddenly behind us forcing us into the car. I tried to run but felt the breath go out of me as one of the men pummeled me in the stomach. Then, as I doubled over,

I saw the gun in one of their hands. As they prodded us into the car, the man held the gun to my head. We were too terrified to even scream.

When we got into the car, we were immediately drugged and tied up. I couldn’t make out any of their faces, and when I opened my mouth to try to groan no sound came out. We instantly passed out, overpowered by the drugs.

I woke up to find myself tied up on a bed in an unidentifiable apartment. I didn’t know where the other girls were. I drifted in and out of consciousness as they raped me, too debilitated and dazed to fend them off. When I woke again, I was alone. Pain shredded through me as I tried to get up and I looked down to see my legs were soaked in blood. I passed out again from the horror and pain.

I came to consciousness with another man on top of me, violently stabbing me. He seemed to get some perverse contentment whenever I screeched in anguish from his forceful thrusting into my body. He mocked me in Tamil, making me to look him in the eyes as he raped me.

When the drugs wore off, I found myself in a dark alley by myself, stripped of my mala and kavi with a thin bed sheet over my body.

They forced that I brief the incident but I had heard what happened to other girls who endured similar incidents and knew it would be pointless.

Still to this day, I have no idea what happened to the other three girls that were with me as I was the only one who returned to the aadheenam afterwards.”

• Ma Nithya Satyagjnananda, female monk

Raped after Forced to Leave Monastery

“ One night, me and few other female sanyasis just returned from the temple to the place we were staying. just as we entered the house, we were attacked by some men who were wearing masks. One of the men, locked the door behind us, and we got really scared and were screaming.. They showed a gun, showing, they will shoot us if we made any noise.. We were very scared and cuddled together in one corner of the small room. One dark guy with a thick mustache, bloody eyes, yellow teeth, laughing and glaring at me. He crossed my hands behind me and tried to put his face on my face.

I turned my face away from this creature's smelly mouth. He slapped me so hard, I could feel my mouth fill up with blood. I tried to fight with my hands, he twisted my arm above my head and stuck his fat tongue into my mouth.

He just pushed me to the ground.. and sat on my legs, he ripped my blouse exposing my right side breast. I was terrified and could not believe anyone could be like this. I could not scream out of shock. i felt I lost my voice even when I tried... it felt like i was choking, no sound coming out of me. I started crying uncontrollably.. He pulled my saree up.. and ripped out my underwear.

He stuck his hand and started stroking my private parts and forced his fingers into my vagina while i screamed with pain. I could not understand why is this happening??

He kept laughing showing his teeth and biting his lips... like a monster.

He pushed his penis into me and hitting me hard. His friend came in laughing asking if he was done. His friend came and started putting his hand on my mouth and touching my lips and breasts while his friend finished.

The second monster jumped in before i could turn away and he started forcing his penis into me and raping so violently like an animal. I could not believe this was really happening. He pulled off my saree after he was done and stomped on it saying "you are all pretending to be sanyasis!!!"

This has left such a deep scar inside my being. I locked myself in a room for months. not knowing whether to cry out for Swamiji or to stand up and see what they were doing to Him. My heart kept telling me I should stand up and not worry about my body anymore, His teachings kept coming up again and again. It kept trying to console me that this is what our ancestors must have gone through. I cannot go into self pity, i must stand up. but my mind went into depression for a long time getting confused between why this happened to me and why is this happening to our Guru.”

• Ma Nithya Gopikananda, female monk

Brutal Assaults and Attempts to Murder

“We all thought that by the end of March 3rd, the attacks would stop. However, our attackers proved themselves to be tireless.

I was shocked to see suddenly a bunch of men climbing up our front gates. in the middle of the night. They were drunk, they had petrol filled bottles and huge sticks, iron rods in their hands. They kept running smashing and beating anything in their way, pulling down Swamiji's photographs, smashing it stomping on it and tearing it to pieces, they were pushing each other to stomp on it. They broke window glasses and went inside took the computers and smashed it to the ground. One of them was saying no, no don't smash it, let us take it. They had a jeep they brought in. Some of the papers they found they started lighting it and burning it. they were throwing the petrol bombs just randomly, not bothered if there were women and children inside.

Some of them were running after the women who were trying to hide. A group of them started shouting vulgar words at me and abusing me. They came straight at me, pushed me on my chest and started beating me with sticks. I could feel they rushing on to me like mad gang and started punching me in my head and slapping for no reason. Few of them were shouting, beat him kill him, kill him. I could not understand - why, what did i do?

They pushed me to the ground and stamped on my chest. I could see them pretending to be angry and laughing for no reason. Is this a cruel joke?

Two guys got hold of my ankle and started dragging me on the ground, the pebbles and stones ripped the skin off my back, i was bleeding and screaming loudly with pain. I could not remain calm anymore. i let go of my dignity and started pleading them to stop and was crying in pain. I never experienced such agonizing pain in my entire life. I was screaming at the top of my lungs for what felt like an eternity but they never stopped.

It seemed as if they derived some sadistic pleasure from watching me cry and scream like a hurt animal as they dragged me.

One more gang approached them and took over beating me with sticks for no reason. They were yelling at me saying they will kill me and my family.

It felt like time just stopped. They mercilessly left me bleeding and bruised black and blue for no reason. I sat up and tried to crawl back inside the welcome center and call for help. But it was shut from inside. I remember just blacking out for atleast 20 minutes and got up when one of my sanyasi brothers from inside had come out and called for medical help after seeing my blood soaked clothes.

It took me several weeks to even start getting up from my bed on my own to take care of myself.”

• Jayeshwara, follower of His Divine Holiness

Deep Conspiracy Unveiled

“Rahila Santhanam was our yoga instructor when I was thirteen and attending gurukul. There were about seven other girls at that time with me. We were all so innocent at that age. There was not even one question of what happened even amongst us. We plainly accepted it as if it was completely okay because of how she made us feel and what she told us.

I am the only one who is still here because I was blessed to be a part of the Panchatapas that Swamiji did along with other sanyasis and devotees of Nithyananda sangha when he came back from 53 days in prison. Even after he went through so much, he only sat down with us to burn all the suffering that we accumulated and purify us. Every other girl fell out in some way or another, for some other reason but I was never able to speak with them about what happened.

Rahila would hold these private sessions after yoga for special kids whom she chose did yoga well that day. She would tell us to remove our clothing and perform yoga postures, then pose for pictures. She would use a digital camera to take all of the pictures. Only she would be there with us and we understood that it was something no one else knew about or should know about because they would misunderstand. She promised however that this was good for us.

She always gave comments on the pictures as if they were meant for somebody to watch. She would say, “No, this will be liked better” or “Yes, this will be preferred”

But who is liking this? Who are these pictures for? What was she doing with them? We had no idea nor did we ever question it.

This went on for about one month before March 2 and Rahila left the sangha entirely. I even forgot that these sessions happened. It wasn’t until I gained the maturity after two years that it dawned on me that

this happened. The terror made me mute. I didn’t know where I should go or whom I should tell. After I looked it up online, I read horrifying stories like this all over the internet associated with child pornography, huge underground, illegal, industries that circulated this content. I read about so many victims whose stories were almost the replica of mine. Rahila was a criminal inside the sangha, using the guise of an yogacharya to fulfill her own maniacal agenda.”

• Sri Nithya Brahmasukananda, 9 years

Sexual Abuse of Minor by Conspirator

“For the previous two years that I was in gurukul, the temple became my home while I was in gurukul. I enjoyed the time there the most doing puja, learning how to dress the deities, preparing for grand rituals. But it was this very place that Ram Ramanathan completely ruined for me. He would corner me in dark places, push me against the wall and force his tongue down my throat. While I was cleaning in the side rooms, he would come inside and lock the door behind him, approaching me with a grin on his face and wrapping his arms around me tightly. I remember that I would freeze when he surrounded me, unable to move any part of my body. He forced me to sit on his lap, as I felt his erection against me as he moved his hands down my pants. On one particular day, after he locked me in the room he made me take my clothes off while he filmed me. With hot tears flowing down my face, I did what he said. He threatened that if I told anyone what he was doing he would show this video to my parents. Terrified, I shook my head. Then he forced his penis inside my mouth.

Until today, when I remember this incident, my throat closes up and the taste of blood fills my mouth just as it did that day.

One month after he did this to me, Ram Ramanathan disappeared. I wanted to run away from my family and friends in the ashram. I didn’t care if I couldn’t take care of myself. For me, death was better than living with the memories that haunted me every single moment. After the attack broke out, I could not even tell my story to the world, afraid that it would be trampled on just like every other testimony. The police only sided with him

For years, I suffered from severe depression and final relief from the nightmares, the flashbacks, the panic and anxiety attacks. I even had to take medication to prevent my anxiety from overwhelming me every day. I failed in my studies and could not succeed in anything I wanted. Life itself feels too impossible to manage for me. I pray every day for the guilt and anger to cease haunting me.”

• Sri Nithya Sundareshwarananda, 10 year old

Sexual Abuse of Minor Kids by Police Chief

“I was among four other gurukul students molested by officer Guruprasad on the day of March 3 2010. I was seven years old. The other girls who were with me were five, nine and ten. We didn’t have any clue what was going on even in that moment. We only painfully and fearfully did what we were told.

Guruprasad sat in the chair after locking the office of the gurukul. He made us take each other’s clothes off. Whimpering we did whatever he said. He told us to stand in one line, covering ourselves sheepishly with our hands and tears running down our face, as he took pictures of us. “Is this what goes on in your ashram?” I remember him telling though at that point I had no idea what he was speaking about and why he was asking this kind of question. There were times in the last eight years when I wondered where those pictures are and what were they used for but I’m only left praying that they are destroyed.

After he took pictures, he used his police stick and pointed at it me. He told me to come to him. I remember gritting my teeth and shaking my head as tears poured down my face. He shouted at me and I jumped. I walked two dreaded steps towards him.

His eyes looked me up and down. I was repulsed by the way he looked at me as if just by his look I was consumed by a monster. He used his stick to touch me from my undeveloped breast to my private parts.

“Please” I begged, my voice broken by the sobs that were in my throat. I didn’t know what he wanted or what he was going to do to me. I only had a childish idea of what he will do to me after that.

“Don’t worry I won’t hurt you”

With saying that he lightly pushed me with his stick in the stomach signaling me to go back. He then called my sister, who was ten at the time but she was tall for her age. With one wrinkled finger, Guruprasad rubbed her private parts. My eyes were fixed on her face. She never said anything or made a face. To this day my sister’s face remained the same- sober and dead as if she became a corpse that day.”

• Ma Nithya Tripurananda,7 year old

The horrifying attack begins

At around 11:30 am, news started pouring in through multiple phone calls on various mobile phones, that the Bengaluru Aadheenam was being attacked in full force from several directions. The Sanyasis heard of blazing fires, inhuman manhandling, aadheenavasis running helter skelter and more. News came from the main security gate that a bunch of assassins had gathered there, shouting slogans asking for His Divine Holiness to come out. They were demanding to see Him. They broke the compound wall and smashed the security cabins and other structures at the entrance.

The security and handful of sanyasis at the main gate were totally outnumbered as the assassins started jumping over the gate and side walls into the aadheenam premises. They rushed everywhere armed with petrol bombs and acid. They carried weapons like chains, iron rods and other explosives.

Sannyasis’ (monks) living quarters set on fire.

The Palm leaves which formed the roof of the living quarters for the sanyasis. The fire spread rapidly and within minutes burned down the mattresses, charring it to soot. The residents ran out of the building to diffuse the fires by throwing buckets of water on them hoping to save some of the belongings. When they realised it was futile, they ran from one building to the next in order to secure themselves from the assassins. All the female residents were instructed to lock themselves up in one of the innermost rooms.

Direct attack on the quarters of His Divine Holiness

The assassins with fireballs and explosives, attacked the very building where His Divine Holiness was staying with His assistants. In a terrifying series of events, the attackers locked all the doors to the structure from outside, and threw petrol bombs on it. They ignited the thatch roof with the clear plan to kill His Divine Holiness.

By then, the panic-stricken Sanyasis, after hearing the updates about the approaching assassins, gathered a few essentials and along with His Divine Holiness was about to leave the quarters to take Him to the vehicle that was waiting near the rear restroom exit.

Just as they were moving to the vehicle, the roof was set ablaze. They could not believe what was happening. Without getting diverted by the blazing fire, they literally pushed His Divine Holiness into the vehicle, jumped in themselves and sped away.

Running for survival - on the road again

They hit the highway within minutes without the assassins sighting their departure. Panic was rushing through their veins as they sped off on the Mysore - Bengaluru highway. Only when the disciples confirmed they were not being chased did they slow down a bit.

Now the question on everyone’s mind was: where to find a safe haven. A unanimous and quick decision was made to go to the relatively small aadheenam in Hosur, tucked away surrounded by agricultural fields, merely an hour and a half away. They sped off towards Hosur aadheenam in Tamilnadu.

Assassins locked His Divine Holiness in his hut and set it ablaze.

(Left) Sannyas dormitory reduced to ashes. The dorm was set ablaze when some monks were still inside, nobody died. (Right) The Aftermath - Firefighters on inspection rounds.

Attempt to Murder Secretary to His Divine Holiness Sri Nithya Pranananda

“It was 2nd March 2010. When we heard they had trespassed into the aadheenam, we crossed the aadheenam quickly toward the temple. I never imagined that a situation would come like this where we were all locked down in one place for so many hours in the day without food, water or any chance to use the restroom.

These men didn’t look more than local workers who were paid to do this by Guurmoorthy to literally destroy our lives. They were tall and well-built by training. Their entire body was the weapon they used to exorcise the life out of us.

Like out of a nightmare, they barged their way through the door of the temple. My eyes were blindfolded. They grabbed me by my mala, choking me, till it broke off my neck.

Removing their pants, they urinated on our sacred deities. After they were finished, they rubbed their bare butts against the deities to taunt us even more.

They pulled my jatta until I thought it would rip from my head. I felt the muscle of my neck stretch and pull.When they smashed my head against the wall, my blood splattered all over the kitchen.Using a clothes line, they wrapped it tightly around my neck, nearly choking me to death. Mutilating my back, they laughed sadistically as I cried uncontrollably. They kneed me in the stomach until I vomited blood.

I screamed and cried but nothing made them stop, till I was barely hanging on for my life.I was sobbing atrociously until one point, my voice became silent. I tried to fight back but my attempts were useless.No matter how much I cried, fought, screamed nothing stopped them. The life was stomped out of me and I became a living corpse.

With each punch to the gut, I became more and more uneasy until I vomited out everything in my stomach including the acid.

They tried to intimidate me by threatening my family and my younger sisters. After the whole attack was over, adheenavasis came looking for us found us all in the horror scene. We were all mortified, unsure what to say and overwhelmed by the gruesome and collection of all of our pain.”

Attempt to Murder Administrator of Bengaluru Aadheenam

“The dawn of the video release started out as a violent one, setting the tone for the remaining days to come. We woke up to the news that our home was under attack, that angry mobs were climbing into our premises. We rushed out to face the chaos. As if out of a nightmare, the mobs barged their way through the door of the hall where we had all gathered. There were hundreds of them, and they started to assault each of us present in that hall.

A large man with a pot-belly ran towards me and began to tie all of my limbs together as if I was an animal. They began to kick me in my stomach, my chest and my face. I had never experienced this kind of violence in my life, I was completely shocked.

We had several deities in the hall, and they immediately took their chappals and threw them at the deities. There were collective voices of protest as they did this but we were all held down by our attackers. They tore the picture frames of Swamiji’s photos and kicked his face in the photos.

Many of us being monks, they tore off our kavis (sacred saffron clothing given to monks). They piled up all of our kavis and set it on fire right inside the hall, laughing cynically as they watched it burn. My assaulter grabbed me by my mala, choking me, till it broke off my neck. The rudraksha beads scattered to the ground. One of the men in the crowd cam forward and began to beat my back with a heavy rod. I cried out as I felt searing pain on my back. I could feel the blood pouring down my back, as I tried my best to stand up from where I had fallen.

They hit me in the back of my knees, knocking me back onto the ground. I screamed and cried but nothing made them stop, till I was barely hanging on for my life. I never experienced such agonizing pain in my entire life. I was screaming at the top of my lungs for what felt like an eternity but they never stopped. As I lay there too weak to move, I wondered if this was how my life would end. Was I just waiting here to die? After the physical trauma, I was unable to hold my bowels and completely defecated on myself. They finally left, threatening my family and my younger sisters.

There is nothing wrong with my guru, nor Hinduism. The only wrong I did was that I was non-violent.”

• Sri Nithya Atmaprabhananda

Vandalism of property

Catching wind of His safe exit, the assassinators went ahead and defaced Paramahamsa Nithyananda's posters with brutal force, using even their footwears to mutilate them, making their agenda clear: they wanted to eliminate Him from the face of the Planet. They inflicted extensive damage to property, stoning and burning the Aadheenam premises. There was terror in the Aadheenam amidst the residents to protect the life of their beloved Guru who was also the lifeli

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