Baba Rampuri

Baba Rampuri, born William A. Gans (July 14, 1950), also known as Baba Ram Puri -ji is an American born Sadhu. He claims to be the first westerner to become a Naga Sadhu, having been initiated in 1970. He is the author of the 2010 Destiny Books published book Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India, originally published in 2005 by Harmony/Bell Tower as Baba: Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Yogi, and now released by Amarpuri Wellness in 2016 as Autobiography of a Sadhu: An Angrez among Naga Babas which has also been translated into German, Russian, Czech, Croatian, and Serbian.[2] He was initiated into the religious order the Naga Sannyasis after traveling to India on a spiritual quest from his native California in 1969, at the age of 18.[3][4] Like many Sadhus, he has stopped using his birth name since his initiation, refuses to give it,[5] and is unwilling to talk about his past.[6][7] He is Shri Mahant at Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara[8][9][10] (The Sacred Juna Akhara of the Ten Names).[11]

Baba Rampuri
Born
William A. Gans[1]

(1950-07-14) July 14, 1950
Chicago, United States
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Naga Sadhu, author, teacher, lecturer, philosopher
Years active1969–present
Websiterampuri.com

Background

Baba Rampuri was born William A. Gans[1][12][13] on July 14, 1950 in Chicago where his father was a dental surgeon,[14] possibly Jewish.[7] His family moved to Beverly Hills, California in 1953.

1960s and 1970s

In 1969, at the age of 18, after experimenting with psychedelics, and viewed as a dropout, Gans left his prosperous family and headed for India to find himself, and as a spiritual quest.[3] Although he returned to the United States after this visit, he went back to India in 1971 and has not returned to his native country.[5] He claims to be the first foreigner to be initiated into India’s ancient order of yogis and shamans, the Naga Sannyasis, during the Allahabad Maha Kumbh Mela in 1971. His guru is Swami Hari Puri Ji, son of Pir Sandhya Puri Ji),[15] also known as Hari Puri Baba Ji, Baba Ji,[16] and Guru Ji.[17]


1980s

In 1984 he founded the Hari Puri Ashram in the Himalayan foothill town of Hardwar. He divides his time between his ashram in Hardwar, Ujjain, and Goa.[18]

2000s

In 2004 he was admitted to the Council of Elders of Datt Akhara in Ujjain, Central India, and has become the special envoy of its Pir (usually the title of a Muslim Sufi leader, but it is also the title of the abbot of Datt Akhara in Ujjain.[7][19]

He hosts an international camp at the Kumbh Mela (the most recent being the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, 2007), as well as retreats, teachings, and initiations in India, and abroad.

In 2007 he was part of the documentary "India Trip" by film-director Lev Victorov (Moscow).[20]

2010s

At the 2010 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar Rampuri was honored with a permanent seat in the Juna Akhara Council and given the title Antahrashtriya (trans. 'International') Mandal (trans. 'World Circle') ka Shri Mahant.[18][21]

He was interviewed in the 2013 National Geographic documentary on the Kumbh Mela.[22]

He now runs, along with his children, the Baba Rampuri Cultural Foundation Inc. located in Brooklyn, New York, created in January 2013.

On August 11, 2017 Rampuri featured in an episode titled Dear India from the Chelsea late-night talk show.[23]

Rampuri v. Stern

Rampuri says Edwin S. Stern approached him in September 2010, and asked him to secure the commitment of the Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara religious society in a spiritual "Kumbha Mela" event to be held in 2012 in New York City. The planned event was cancelled by Stern in August 2011 due to an inability to secure sufficient funding. A court case subsequently ensued.[1][12][13][24]

Rampuri's claim for a $250,000 plus expenses Agent Fee for his assistance in securing the Juna Akhara's participation and a further $1,325,967 that was promised by Stern and his company as a Dakshina (donation) to Juna Akhara itself, was dismissed by the New York Supreme Court on January 15, 2013.[25]

Written works

Rampuri's Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India was first published in English in 2005 (as Baba: Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Yogi) and translated into Russian in 2006 and German in 2008, with an updated republication in English in 2010.

Published in English as:

  • Rampuri. (2010). 'Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India'. Destiny Books. ISBN 978-1594773303. – originally published as Rampuri. (2005). Baba: Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Yogi. Harmony/Bell Tower. ISBN 978-1400080380.

Published in German as:

  • Rampuri. (2008). 'Unterwegs zu den Wurzeln yogischen Wissens' (On the Road to the Roots of Yogic Knowledge/Heading to the Roots of Yogic Knowledge). Sphinx. ISBN 978-3720590112.

Published in Russian as:

  • Rampuri. (2006). 'Биография голубоглазого йогина' (Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Yogi). Гаятри (Gayatri). ISBN 5-9689-0040-7. and translated by А. Горбатюк (A. Gorbatyuk)

See also

References
  1. McCue, Dan; Baba Says Promoter Stiffed Him for $250,000, Courthouse News Service, October 5, 2011.
  2. "About Baba Rampuri". May 11, 2010.
  3. Rampuri.com
  4. Oroc, James; Tryptamine Palace: 5-MeO-DMT and the Sonoran Desert Toad, page 230
  5. "Once Beverly Hills resident in 'bliss' at Kumbh Mela". Hindustan Times. January 22, 2007. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  6. Pandey, Prashant; This Naga sadhu is a tech-friendly American, Indian Express, January 14, 2013.
  7. The foreign Hindu monks at India’s Kumbh Mela
  8. Rampuri, 'Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India' (2010)
  9. "Foreign Naga Baba proclaimed Shri Mahant, official Rampuri website video". Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  10. Official facebook profile
  11. Translation: page 94, Rampuri, Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India (2010)
  12. "Rampuri v Stern :: January, 2013 :: New York Other Courts Decisions :: New York Case Law :: US Case Law :: US Law :: Justia". Law.justia.com. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  13. "second review down". Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  14. Rampuri, Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India (2010), page 1 and 123
  15. Rampuri, Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India (2010), page 122
  16. Rampuri, Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India (2010), page 123
  17. Rampuri, Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey into Mystic India (2010), page 1043
  18. "About - Baba Rampuri". Rampuri.com. May 11, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  19. Rampuri; ‘Autobiography of a Sadhu: A Journey Into Mystic India’ (2010), pages 132, 134, and 231.
  20. "Spiritual Links". Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  21. "Antahrashtriya Mandal - Baba Rampuri". Rampuri.com. August 13, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  22. "World's Biggest Festival: Kumbh Mela - Beverly Hills Baba". National Geographic. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  23. Sen, Rajyasree; 'Chelsea: Dear India' shows Indians are rich and steeped in Bollywood, spirituality, Mint, August 25, 2017.
  24. "Eddie Stern Archives - Baba Rampuri". Rampuri.com. August 13, 2013. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  25. Rampuri v Stern 2013 NY Slip Op 50048(U), Justia, January 15, 2013.

Further reading
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