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Paramahamsa Nithyananda (also known as Swami Nithyananda) is a spiritual master, mystic, Mahamandaleshwar of Maha Nirvani Akhada and the founder of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, a worldwide movement for meditation headquartered in Bengaluru, India. Swami Nithyananda is popular for his spiritual discourses, healing abilities and meditation programs featuring Kundalini awakening. In 2012, Swami Nithyananda was named by Watkins' Mind Body Spirit magazine as one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people in the world.

Birth
Nithyananda, was born as Rajasekaran on January 1, 1978 in the spiritual town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. The town made famous by spiritual masters such as Arunagiri Yogeshwara, Arunagirinathar, Ramana Maharishi and Yogi Ramsuratkumar. He was the second child of Arunachalam and Lokanayaki. According to his parents, he never cried at birth and his spirit was so relaxed and comfortable that the doctor had to tap the baby to make sure that it was alive. Nithyananda recollects having a conscious birth: "It was neither dark nor light-filled; an indeterminate color covered planet Earth. Suddenly a bright and brilliant light appeared from a region, which I now see as Southern India. I entered into that light in the form of a brilliant meteor.The very next sight that I perceived with my inner eye was Arunachala, and I knew that I had assumed the body once more; I had entered the womb of my mother. It was a conscious birth. I entered into the body at 11:45 pm. I took a muhurta, which is a period of about 45 minutes in the Hindu system of time measurement, to settle into the body."

Childhood
From early childhood Nithyananda’s spiritual inclinations were very clear. His grandmother, who was very fond of him, once wanted to give him a gift. She opened up her box of jewelry and asked him to pick whatever he liked. The young child picked up a rudraksha mala without hesitation, much to his grandmothers surprise. Rudraksha mala is a chain made form plant beads and usually worn by spiritually evolved people and those aspiring spiritual evolution. As a child he preferred playing with images and idols of Gods and Goddesses over the regular toys and dolls. By associating with temple sculptors he learned to make little idols from wood, soft-stone and wet earth, some of which are on display at his ashram near Bangalore.

Growing Up
Raghupati Yogi’s Tutelage: Raghupati Yogi was an accomplished master of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga and considered to have attained many extraordinary yogic abilities. When Nithyananda was about three years old, a relative brought home Raghupati Yogi. When he saw Nithyananda playing with idols, he remarked that the boy was a light that had started shining in that household. Nithyananda felt comfortable with this man and easy to relate with him. Yogi took Nithyananda as his student and initiated him into Yoga, putting him through practices for three to four hours every morning. Nithyananda would ask him many questions, which he would answer patiently. Raghupati Yogi played a vital role in the boy’s physical and spiritual development, teaching him techniques to go without food and water and to play with energy. At the time getting photographs was very expensive in rural India, but he made sure to have the young boy’s pictures taken. When the pictures arrived, he wrote on them "The world will thank me one day for these pictures".

Young Nithyananda also received instructions in Vedanta, Siddha, Tantra and other eastern metaphysical sciences from Maataji Kuppammal, Annamalai Swamigal, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, Narayanaswami Thatha and Isakki Swamigal. Nithyananda also acquired a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the Rajagopal Polytechnic, Gudiyattam.

Meeting Arunagiri Yogiswara & First Spiritual Experience: Within the premises of Arunachala temple at Tiruvannamalai, lies the jeeva samadhi of Arunagiri Yogiswara, considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Around the age of 9, one day when Nithyananda was sitting on this spot, he saw a handsome young man emerge from a corner of this jiva samadhi. This young man came up to him and started talking to him and told Nithyananda that he was Arunagiri Yogiswara. After that Arunagiri Yogiswara became his hero, idol and inspiration and so he started to come everyday to talk to Arunagiri. Through his discussions with him, Nithyananda started looking beyond his fabricated self/ identity. Even though Nithyananda was just a child, he felt the stirrings of the need to look within and explore deeper about his own existence, without quite knowing why or how. They talked for hours day after day.

One day, when Kuppammal (his mentor) inquired about his routine absence, Nithyananda took her to Arunagiri. But this time Arunagiri did not come. The boy felt betrayed and spent the whole night in agony. Early next morning, the boy ran to that same spot where he sat in front of the jiva samadhi and wept. Suddenly Nithyananda saw Arunagiri Yogiswara in front of him. His whole form was in shining light, almost transparent. Arunagiri’s feet were not touching the ground. He smiled tenderly at the boy, full of compassion and love and said, "Dear one, you and I are one. We can never get separated. But the play is over. You will not miss me any longer. We are one". Saying this, the form of Arunagiri Yogiswara merged into the boy and disappeared. From that moment on, Nithyananda no longer felt the separation from Arunagiri Yogiswara. A deep fulfillment descended on him leaving him in complete bliss.

Annamalai Swamigal & 360 degree experience: Around the age of 12 years old, Nithyananda was sitting, as usual, on a rock locally called "Pearl Rock" in the Arunachala hill and meditating. He was playing with a technique given to him by Annamalai Swamigal. In the midst of his meditation, Nithyananda felt something opening up within him, something was getting crushed and something else was getting created. It was like a vessel inside him getting broken and a door outside opening, both together at the same time. It was a feeling of creation and destruction at the same time; and a very pleasurable feeling. A feeling of calmness descended on him. Even with his eyes closed, he could see in all directions around him. With equal clarity, Nithyananda could see the hill in front of him, the temple behind him, the rock below him, the stars above him, the trees to the left, part of the hill to the right.

Nithyananda says "At that moment, I awakened to the realization that I was one with the whole of Existence and everything was I!" He said pointing to the tree in front of him, "It was like this tree became my bone and this thatch above became my nerves!" Nithyananda stayed in this state for over an hour and a half. The after effects of this spiritual experience that Nithyananda now calls satori, lasted about three days. This experience was the beginning of a new phase of spiritual development in Nithyananda life. From this point, Nithyananda claims, it enabled him to see all around him whenever he wished.

Leaving home & flowering of enlightenment
Nithyananda had been having the urge to leave home for parivrajaka (spiritual wandering) and live the life of a sanyasi (renunciate monk) since his early teens. By the time he was seventeen and had completed his diploma in Mechanical Engineering, the urge became unmanageable. Finally one evening he decided to act immediately. Nithyananda had to tell his mother first, whom he loved deeply and wanted her shock and suffering to be as little as possible. She burst into tears and finally said, "I knew that you would go away one day. But I cannot bear to see you go. That is why I am crying". His parents knew from the time of his birth that he would be a sanyasi and that would leave home sooner or later, hoping for the later. The only problem Nithyananda had in leaving his home was with leaving Arunachala. After his experience with Arunagiri Yogiswara, this was the only time in his life that he felt that he would be missing something. It was only when he came to bid farewell to his dear Arunachaleshwara at the temple that he did for the first time feel that he was about to lose something. He never thought he would ever return. His goal was enlightenment, which he thought would happen when he was old, eighty or ninety, or sometime before he died.

Spiritual Enlightenment: During the days of spiritual wandering, he travelled to various parts of India. At the age of 22 years, Nithyananda was staying near the banks of the river Narmada at Omkareshwar. On January 1, 2000, he experienced the final flowering of spiritual enlightenment. Following the experience he remained in silence for several months. After emerging form the silence, Nithyananda stayed in Erode for a few months, on the banks of the river Kaveri in Tamil Nadu, healing people and teaching meditation. Thereafter he moved to Bangalore where he established an ashram.

Teachings and Meditation Programs
Nithyananda's teachings span advaita vedanta, bhakti, yoga, meditation and kriyas for healing diseases. Nithyananda stresses on incorporating four tattvas (principles) of Authenticity, Integrity, Responsibility and Enriching (self and others) into daily living. His teachings are centered around living a life that is conflict-free in the inner world and outer world, living an integrated life without a gap between the inner and outer worlds; continuously living in a beautiful and harmonious way and feeling connected with whateveris. He refers to such a life as jeevan mukti or "living enlightenment". Some of his well known discourses on Indian scriptures include Shiva Sutras, Jain Sutras Brahma Sutras, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita.

Range of meditation programs spanning from 1 day long Kalpataru to the 21-day long Inner Awakening are offered by him. Energizing chakras, awakening the Kundalini energy, and learning to identify and liberate oneself from inner conflicts and mental patterns are few of the elements covered in these programs.

Nithyananda's daily discourses are offered through live internet video streaming and also broadcast through television channels like Sadhana TV. In 2012, as part of his daily online discourses, Nithyananda began initiating people into a 21 day long process of Nirahara Samyama which enables the body to absorb energy directly from the surrounding space, effectively enabling participants to go without consuming food while living their daily lives.

Public Life
Nithyananda began public life by establishing an Ashram at Bidadi, near Bangalore on Jan 1, 2003 called Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, with the mission of reviving Vedic tradition and sharing his enlightenment experience. Ashram contains two key energy centers. The first being a several hundred year old banyan tree which Nithyananda claims to have planted in a previous life. Beneath the banyan tree lies jiva samadhis of two enlightened masters. The ashram offers programs on meditation, yoga and healing which are often conducted by Nithyananda.

He rose to fame after his series Kadavai Thira, Kattru Varattum (Open the door and let the breeze in) was published in the widely circulated Tamil weekly. Nithyananda's meditation programs, discourses on Indian scriptures, and healing abilities fueled his rapid growth in popularity particularly in India and the United States in the early years. He also toured many countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia offering his spiritual programs. Meditation centers and temples were established by his followers in countries like India, USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia and many parts of Europe, South America and the Middle East. Major part of his daily activities includes delivering meditation programs and discourses to global and local audiences.

Social Initiatives: The ashram was actively involved in disaster relief activities for hurricane Thane, relief work during the floods in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in 2009, donations for victims of fire accident at the fireworks factory in Sivakasi in 2009 and deaths of pilgrims at Amarnath in 2012.

Awards and honours



 * In 2007, he was elected chairman of the Hindu University of America, also known as the International Vedic Hindu University, an institution in the U.S. state of Florida.
 * In 2012, Paramahamsa Nithyananda featured in the Watkins' list of the top 100 most spiritually influential living people in the world.
 * In April 2012 appointed 293rd head of Madurai Adheenam. In October 2012 removed as head.
 * In Feb 2013 during the Maha Kumbh Mela, Swami Nithyananda was bestowed the title of Mahamandaleshwar by the Maha Nirvani Akhada one of the oldest Akhada or sect of holy renunciates and one of the main organizers of the Kumbh Mela. This exclusive tile is given to those saints who are believed to have attained godly qualities.

Controversy
A video showing Nithyananada hugging and kissing a woman while watching television was broadcast on the television channel Sun News on 2 March 2010. The ashram's website called the video defamatory, terming it "a mix of conspiracy, graphics and rumour". Swami Nithyananda was arrested and later released after spending fifty two days in jail. In October 2010, Lenin Karuppan, the releaser of the video and former driver of Nithyananda, was charged by Bidadi police under several sections of the IPC with accusations of defaming Nithyananda by distributing the video Four American forensic labs supported the claim that the video was doctored, while one Indian forensic lab deemed the video to be genuine. Nithyananda's ashram filed a complaint against Sun TV Network, claiming they were the agents behind the morphed video. In Dec 2012, Sun TV's former COO Mr. Saxena issued a statement to the press stating that the Nithyananda scandal was a blackmail attempt by Sun TV editor Mr. Raja. He further accused Mr. Raja of engaging in blackmail of factories with fabricated stories of environmental damages caused by them leading to public health problems. In March 2013, Mr. Raja was arrested for workplace sexual harassment and later released on bail.

In June 2012, Arthi Rao, an Indian born American citizen, filed complaints in the United States, India, and also went on Indian television accusing Nithyananda of raping her for several years (2005-2009) Nithyananda responded at a press conference by stating that Aarthi Rao had come to him seeking healing for Herpes, a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease. He asked authorities to conduct medical tests on Aarthi Rao and himself to resolve the issue. Aarthi Rao responded on television by rejecting Nithyananda's claims. With the building up of media pressure around the case, Karnataka chief minister ordered the ashram sealed. Nithyananda surrendered himself before a court in Ramanagaram. He was released on bail the next day and the ashram was unsealed a few days later. In October 2012, Aarthi Rao's medical records from University of Michigan Hospitals spanning 2004 through 2010, ordered for by the US Court, became public. The records confirmed Aarthi Rao to have acquired Herpes 2 from extra marital partners. Nithyananda's medical tests showed him to be free of sexually transmitted diseases and he was later acquitted of these charges.

Amidst the Aarti Rao scandal and mounting pressure from the state government, on October 12, 2012, Sri Arunagirinathar, the 292nd head of Madurai Adheenam, who had earlier anointed Nithyananda as his successor, announced his removal from the post.