HATHRAS, India: Former police constable-turned-preacher Bhole Baba built an immense following among poor and marginalised Indians before his latest sermon ended in a stampede that killed 121 of his followers.
India is home to innumerable religious gurus or “godmen”, whose devotees beseech them for miracles and donate money and possessions as a token of loyalty.
Baba, whose current whereabouts are unknown, was barely known to the wider Indian public before Tuesday’s disaster.
But in his native state of Uttar Pradesh, he had cultivated a large audience of worshippers and his prayer meetings received thousands of views on social media.
“If you distribute flowers, you will receive a garland in return,” he said during one sermon uploaded to YouTube two years ago, which focused on the virtues of kindness.
Past sermons show Baba dressed entirely in white, sitting on an ornate chair on a dais while addressing huge crowds of devotees, the vast majority of whom were women.
More than 250,000 people attended Tuesday’s prayer meeting he staged near the northern city of Hathras, according to a police report.
