Your mother is unwell, she has been battling cancer for three years. She has reached the fourth stage and is in a critical condition, constantly suffering. She has taken medicines, but they have not been effective. Perform a special prayer. At your home, keep a lamp burning constantly (Akhand Jyoti) for 11 days. Take 50 grams of cow dung from a native cow, mix it with two whole turmeric roots, grind them into a paste, and give it to the patient to drink. The benefit will be 100% — blessings...
Bageshwar Dham ki Jai!
From being a cure for cancer to combating the deadly Coronavirus, gaumutra or cow urine has been reinvented in Hindutva discourse time and again as having almost miraculous medicinal value. The video above, uploaded in 2022, shows a then 25-year-old Dhirendra Shastri, the self-styled Hindu seer and head of the Bageshwar Dham temple in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, advising a young man to feed his ailing mother gaumutra as a cure for cancer.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the same Shastri is now setting up a cancer hospital in Bageshwar Dham, the foundation of which was laid on February 23, 2025, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reports said that the Rs 200-crore cancer hospital would provide state-of-the-art facilities and offer free treatment to underprivileged patients, ensuring better healthcare for all.
Addressing the event, PM Modi, sandalwood paste smeared on his forehead, lauded his "younger brother" Dhirendra Shastri's efforts in uniting Hindus. He also took the opportunity to condemn leaders who mocked and "hated the Hindu faith" and attacked a religion that was "progressive by nature". He also proclaimed that the plan to build the cancer institute was another resolution in the interest of society and humanity. "That means now, here in Bageshwar Dham, you will get the blessings of Bhajan, food and healthy life," Modi stated.
According to the organization's website, the Bageshwar Dham began functioning 300 years ago in Gadha village of Chattarpur, Madhya Pradesh. The Hindi word Dham refers to a place of pilgrimage. Behind the present-day temple lies the Samadhi of Dhirendra Krishna Shastri's grandfather Setulal Garg Sanyasi Baba, who started the Dham. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Balaji and Hanuman. According to the website, people come to Bageshwar Dham to get rid of the problems of their lives. "Balaji Maharaj listens to your problem through Arzi and gets the solution through the Peethadhishwar of the Dham", it adds. The Dham runs several social welfare initiatives, including the Annapurna Rasoi (community kitchen), annual mass weddings for underprivileged girls, a Gurukul for Vedic education, and Bageshwar gardens for environmental protection. It also promotes cow protection and supports food and education for needy children.
Dhirendra Shastri's Claim to Fame
Over the years, Shastri, seen as a 'Godman' by his followers, has had his reputation rested primarily on his supernatural ability to perform 'miracles'. He has a massive following on social media, with over 2 million followers on Instagram, over 200,000 followers on X (Twitter) and close to 10 million followers on YouTube. According to a video report by media outlet The Print, his followers come from far and wide to line up at the Balaji temple in Madhya Pradesh to drop a piece of paper in a box and wait for months even a year to meet the Godman. "They (the miracles Shastri has done on TV) are all real, Madam... We believe that because Babaji speaks of Hindutva… This is our Babaji's Hindutva. We revere him as the manifestation of Hanuman Ji in Kali Yug — this is our belief," a follower says in the report.
Shastri's fame spread through his so-called 'miraculous abilities' — claiming to heal the sick and read minds. He holds televised 'Divya Durbars' attended by large crowds, where he calls participants from the group of attendees and purportedly 'exorcises' spirits, diagnoses illnesses without medical tests, and performs other supposed 'miracles'. The video at the beginning is a clip from one such session. The young man who approached Shastri for help with his cancer-stricken mother, Shastri theatrically revealed all the details as if he had read his mind, repeatedly seeking confirmation of his 'findings', before suggesting gaumutra as the cure.
During another session of 'Divya Durbar', a man and his infant child were called on stage by Dhirendra Shastri. Shastri is heard asking the man to not cry while he scribbles on a notepad. Shashtri then goes on to performatively 'prove' that he had no way of knowing the man or his troubles. The distressed father concedes and states that his son has cancer. Shastri then shows his audience that he had already written all of his issues down on his notepad while they were coming on stage. According to his 'findings', the infant had been battling blood cancer and jaundice. Chemotherapy was performed but to no good. The father concedes to the details. In yet another bizarre instance of pseudo-science, Shastri 'prescribes' a concoction of 50gm of cow urine and turmeric alongside the doctor's medicines.
In a similar stunt, a man was called on stage by Shastri. By the time the man reaches the stage, Shastri is seen scribbling on his notepad. When asked about his troubles, the man states that his brother was battling cancer. Needless to say, the 'miracle man' had already noted crucial details about the man's life on paper. His advice? "Organize a chanting session of Lord Ram's name at your home, preferably on Amavasya (new moon) or Purnima (full moon). There is a saint named Ramdev in your area, someone associated with a white horse. His followers have arrived and caused this disturbance."
During another episode of Divya Darbar, Shastri is seen 'consulting' with Hindu deity Balaji and miraculously 'revealing' a follower's diagnosis of liver cancer. He promises to 'submit a request at the dham' before dismissing him. Yet another man who came to Shastri because of his wife's cancer ailment was advised to recite a mantra three times with a mala, offer a submission at the shrine, avoid garlic and onion, take sesame leaves, prepare its decoction, grind two whole turmeric roots and add them, add one marigold flower, and drink it on an empty stomach. The man was also asked to buy cancer medicines from the Dham. Needless to say, Shastri had 'miraculously' guessed the man's ailments without asking him.
In yet another episode of Divya Durbar from 2022, a young woman approached Shastri with physical problems. Shastri diagnosed that the woman was possessed by the spirit of a Muslim peer. "I won't tell you the name (of the ghost) because there will be disturbance, but I will signal to you." He then gives her a mantra and asks her to chant it as a cure.
Shastri is also known for performing exorcisms. Several videos on Bageshwar Dham's official YouTube channel show distressed and dishevelled men and women thrashing their arms and legs, sometimes collapsing to the ground, appearing to writhe in pain, behaving in a trance-like or delirious state.
Below is another case of Shastri performing such an 'exorcism'.
In one instance, a child who seems to be seriously ill is brought to Shastri for a cure. Instead of referring the child to a doctor, Shastri blows into the mic thrice and claims that he is cured.
However, the so-called wunderkind of Hindutva got embroiled in a controversy when an activist from the anti-superstition organisation Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti challenged him to prove his powers in a public event in February 2023.
Shastri was in Nagpur to 'perform miracles' when Shyam Manav, a member of the organization, challenged him to accurately guess the names, phone numbers, and other personal details of 10 people — just as he had been doing in his performances. The catch? This time, Manav would choose the individuals. If Shastri succeeded, he would receive ₹30 lakh.
Shastri, however, did not participate. Instead, he abruptly cut short his eight-day program and 'fled' Nagpur. Consequently, Manav received death threats claiming to make him 'another Narendra Dabholkar', his co-founder and compatriot, who was assassinated in broad daylight in 2013.
Following this, media outlet ABP swiftly took it upon itself to clear any doubts about Shastri's abilities. A reporter from ABP was 'randomly' called on stage after Shastri announced his uncle's name into the mic. Shastri then proceeded to 'reveal' several personal details about the journalist, who repeatedly conceded that Shastri had no prior way of knowing this information. Shastri went on to reveal details like the name of the journalist's niece and that his brother had recently built a house.
Just after the clip was aired, several social media users discovered that all of the information that Shastri revealed on air could be found on the journalist's Facebook profile.
In November 2024, the News Broadcasters and Digital Standards Authority instructed media outlet News18 to take down a video interview of Shastri. Activist Indrajeet Ghorpade wrote to the board citing several policy violations like the principles of self-regulation, which require broadcasters to refrain from promoting or encouraging superstition and occultism. During the interview, Shastri made several bizarre claims, from stating that he could use his 'magical powers' to find missing animals and cure people's illnesses to claiming that he used his powers to find diamonds in a neighbouring district called Panna. In another bizarre claim, Shastri stated that he could predict the results of the Lok Sabha elections. When the interviewer asked him who would win, Shastri suggested he visit Bageshwar Dham and perform some ritualistic practices. He added, "… Come and see me, and I will tell you. If I can't, you can erase my name." The controversial interview has not been taken down.
Communal Hate, Call for Hindu Rashtra, Endorsement of Violence
Prime Minister Modi lauded Shastri for 'efforts' in uniting the Hindus of the nation. The 'efforts' entail an infamous track record of communal hate, endorsement of a Hindu Rashtra and a tacit support of violence against minorities.
In the News18 interview flagged by the NBDSA, several comments like "Iss Bharat mein rehna hoga toh Sita Ram Kehna Hoga (Translation: If you want to stay in this country, you have to hail Sita Ram)" and "I don't want Hindu Rashtra on paper, I want Hindu Rashtra in the hearts of 125 crore Hindus" were made by Shastri. It is pertinent to note that this interview was aired on national TV. Towards the end of the interview, Shastri amplified claims of 'Love Jihad', a conspiracy theory that Muslim men systematically lured Hindu women into marriages and forcefully converted them to Islam.
While speaking about Islam he said, "… (Just because your religion is different) doesn't mean that your God says that only my followers are superior, others are kafirs, it doesn't mean that only protect your daughters and sisters and trap the others in 'Love Jihad' and kill them, it doesn't mean that only your holy book is the purest and conspire to burn all the others." The audience in the studio is heard cheering after he finishes speaking.
In 2022, Shastri publicly urged all Hindus to 'unite' and bulldoze the houses of the 'stone-pelters'. "I will also buy a bulldozer after a few days... I don't have the money right now. But soon I'll buy a bulldozer... Whoever throws stones at Ram's work, Sanatani principles, saints, or Indian Sanatani Hindus, we will run a bulldozer over their house," Shastri was seen animatedly saying on camera.
The following year, in a similar statement, Shastri reportedly declared that if anyone attacked a Ram Navami procession or pelted stones at a Hindu's house, Hindus should retaliate by bringing a JCB to theirs, as India belongs to Sanatanis. He urged Hindus to rise, take up arms, and defend Dharmas.
In November 2023, Shastri was hosted in Dehradun, welcomed by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami. During his sermon, Shastri made several communal remarks, targeting minority communities. "If a person is O+, can he accept another blood group?… So, if the body can't accept another blood group then how can we accept another religion?... When I was coming here, I was told that JCBs have been used over the lands of 'those people'. I replied that's very good…Right now Maharaj ji was also telling us how they capture land and cover it with a chadar…This is how the CM should be who takes away the homes of those who say that it's Babur's land...I don't want mosques to be made in Uttarakhand. Only Ram temples should be constructed..." Shastri also reportedly compared Muslims and Christians to ghosts and ghouls who could be shooed away by chanting the names of Hindu Gods.
In another rally hosted in February of 2023, supporters of Dhirendra Shastri held the 'Sanatan Dharm Sansad' ('Hindu Parliament') where Mahamandaleshwar Hari Singh boasted that at 83 years of age, he had already killed 80 people. He also said that he would die only after killing 100 people. Singh brazenly urged the crowd to kill Muslims and Christians and keep weapons in their homes. "Christians said divide and rule, Muslims said slay and rule…When will you (Hindus) slay and kill? After all of you die? When will you kill them? When will you kill Muslims and Christians? What will you kill them with? Those small knives used to cut vegetables? They are no good. You must keep weapons!"
Replying to journalist Neeraj Jha in the same video, Singh states, "We speak of love. For us, the whole world is one." Jha responds, "But you are talking about shooting?" Then, the 'sage' says, "Absolutely, they should be shot. Anyone who insults our religion, daughters-in-law, daughters, cow and scriptures, or destroys our temples must be killed. They should not be spared."
Shastri was invited to journalist Shubhankar Mishra's podcast 'Unplugged' dated February 15 where he was asked about YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia's controversial statements on comedian Sanay Raina's show 'India's Got Latent'. "...They should be wiped out. If you're making a mistake which harms the Sanatan and Hindu religion, then instead of being forgiven, you should be wiped out. I am in favour of this"
Dhirendra Shastri's younger brother Shaligram Garg was booked in February 2023 for brandishing weapons at a Dalit family's wedding ceremony in Gadha village. More recently, Garg and his associates entered the house of the caretaker of Bageshwar Dham and thrashed the women occupants with sticks and rods. A minor girl's hand was fractured, and serious injuries were inflicted on the other women. The elderly members of the house were also allegedly subjected to assault. An FIR was filed after the matter came to the fore.
Why PM Cheering For Dhirendra Shastri is a Sorry Sight
Politicians from all camps have been seen hobnobbing with Dhirendra Shastri, or vice versa, for mutual benefits. His political patronage extends beyond the usual RSS-BJP nexus. A report by The Print reveals that in 2022, a member of the Congress party, Ajit Singh, organized a seven-day program for Shastri at Chil Pahadi. The Indian Express notes that it was the patronage of former Congress MLA from Chhatarpur Alok Chaturvedi that gave Shastri his first significant break. Then, among the earliest high-profile leaders to court Shastri was Madhya Pradesh Congress stalwart Kamal Nath.
However, on February 23, 2025, Shastri's work received the direct endorsement from the country's highest office, that of the Prime Minister. By laying the hospital's foundation, publicly backing Shastri, and referring to him as a 'younger brother,' PM Modi signalled his alignment not only with the healthcare initiative, but also with Shastri's legacy, of which communal hate, pseudoscience, occultism, the call for Hindu Rashtra and encouragement of bulldozer violence against minorities are integral parts. There was nothing on display on February 23 that suggested that the PM wanted to steer clear of Shastri's deeply problematic communal posturing. If anything, it was the opposite. He referred to him as the unifier of Hindus. Enough said.
That is precisely why one wonders whether the wholehearted backing of someone like Dhirendra Shastri by the country's Prime Minister is something we can afford at this juncture. The PM's cheering will inspire more such 'younger brothers'. More Dhirendra Shastris will emerge, and more media personnel, politicians, and Hindutva fanatics will rush to their defence — silencing critics with threats of death, bulldozers, and communal slurs. And with each new Shastri, the line between faith and fanaticism will blur further. Does that augur well for our social fabric?
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