To the precious jewels around the globe,
My dear lovely Sisters and Brothers,
Greetings in Baba's Yaad!
This is to inform the entire Brahmin clan that our most respected, beloved, sweet and silent Dadi Shanta Maniji, left her old Chariot and went into Baba's lap today (15 June 2010) at around 8.00pm in Global Hospital, Mount Abu. She was 87 years of age. For the past year or so, Dadiji's health had been fragile and for the past 5-6 days the Chariot was in coma. I returned to Shantivan last night from my 2-month foreign tour. There was a pull to come see Dadi quickly as it felt as though Dadi Shanta Mani was waiting for me. I came up the mountain this evening and went directly to the hospital to say the final goodbye... The relationship we have with each other in the Brahmin family is powerful and ever-lasting. We pay our humble respects to Dadiji for all that her glorious life stands for.
The Chariot was brought to Pandav Bhawan at around 10.10pm and is now placed in History Hall. All night bhatti will take place. Tomorrow, Wednesday 16 June, the Chariot will be decorated and taken on the final pilgrimage to Shantivan, then to Gyan Sarovar, and back to Pandav Bhawan. After the final round of the four pilgrimage places, the Chariot will be taken for cremation.
We request all centres and Brahmin family to be in powerful meditation and pay tribute to Dadi Shanta Mani, one of the original jewels of Baba's Yagya.
In Baba's loving Yaad,
B.K. Janki
What on earth really does carrying a corpse around some buildings achieve!?!
Usual stuff ... weird and wooly language ("Chariot" for corpse or body), claims of Janki's wondrous divinity ("pulls" for psychic guidance), a military-like call to EVEN MORE MEDITATION for the benefit of the BKWSU leadership and another round of press and media and trying to pull VIPs to Abu to celebrate them. Overall, the effort is designed to reinforce the myth of the original members specialness which the next inline adherents can then capitalise on in their business.
What do we know about Shanta Mani? She was around 13 when the movement started, a child of some mother sucked into it all. Janki does not actually write these saccharine copy and paste PR notes, so who does?
Shanta Mani has had her name changed and so it is not possible to know which one, or even if, she is on the list of the Om Mandli, here. She was on the internal reform committee ... I wonder what ever happened to that?