Spiritual Guru Kalki Bhagavan Dies At 77

Spiritual teacher and founder of the Oneness organisation, Vijay Kumar Naidu, popularly known as 'Kalki Bhagavan', died on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 77.

Born on March 7, 1949, in Tamil Nadu, Vijay Kumar Naidu completed his education at DG Vaishnav College in Chennai and initially worked as a clerk with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). He later left his job and began his spiritual journey, eventually establishing the Oneness movement.

Kalki Bhagavan rose to prominence through his spiritual teachings, meditation programmes and Oneness Blessing (Deeksha), attracting followers in India and several other countries.

His spiritual centre at Varadaiahpalem in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, including the Ekam/Oneness campus, became a major destination for his followers.

Over the years, his organisation was also associated with social-service initiatives, including drinking-water projects, healthcare programmes, eye-care camps and educational support in rural areas

At the same time, Kalki Bhagavan and organisations associated with him faced several controversies. His spiritual activities and the scale of his operations drew criticism over alleged commercialisation, land-related disputes and other issues.

The most significant financial controversy came in October 2019, when the Income Tax Department conducted searches at multiple premises linked to Kalki Bhagavan, his family and associated businesses. Officials reported the seizure of substantial amounts of cash, foreign currency and gold, and alleged the detection of undisclosed income and overseas investments.

Despite the controversies, Kalki Bhagavan remained a prominent and influential figure in India's modern spiritual landscape, with a large following in India and abroad.

His death marks the end of the life of a spiritual leader who rose from a modest career as an LIC clerk to build a globally recognised spiritual movement that combined meditation, consciousness teachings and large-scale social initiatives.