Secondly, he said, the disciples would be cautious about the copyrights on Osho’s discourses, which are recorded in books, and audio and video cassettes. He said one group, to which he belonged, wanted the ashram to be a pilgrimage and heritage site. He feared they would bring down the Buddha Hall. Khanna regretted that two foreigners, an Englishman and a Canadian, had taken over the ashram and had driven out the inner circle of 21 members appointed by Osho. It was in the news then because of the internal feud among the Osho disciples. My next question was about Osho’s ashram in Pune, better known as Osho Commune. Osho’s Japanese disciples had constructed an ashram, which could house about 400 people, he said. The sanyasis had bought the property and started restoration work of the house in which Osho was born on December 11, 1931.
#Vinod khanna osho archive
He said he was planning to set up an archive of Osho in Kuchwada. I asked him about his plans for Osho’s birthplace at Kuchwada. Despite being busy - as some MP Tourism officials and several local BJP leaders were waiting to meet him - Khanna did not show any hurry. The ever-smiling actor-politician got down to replying all my questions. Despite being a successful actor and a Union minister in his first stint as an MP, he did not betray arrogance. The most significant part of Vinod Khanna’s personality which we noticed was that he was always pleasant and humble. He headed for his room and very soon appeared before us waiting journalists. He was wearing a necklace with an Osho pendant. When he returned, driving the car himself, he was dressed in maroon robes in the avatar of "Swami Vinod Bharti". I was informed that he had gone to visit Kuchwada and would be back in a while. I was bustling with excitement when I reached Madhya Pradesh government’s Hotel Ashoka Lake View, where he had put up. Hence, I thought to ask a couple of questions about Osho too. I was aware that the controversial guru had completed his higher studies in Jabalpur and had also taught philosophy in Jabalpur University. I also knew that Osho was born in Madhya Pradesh, in a small village called Kuchwada in Udaipura tehsil of Raisen district.
I knew he was a strong follower of "Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh", better known as Osho. Moreover, as he was the minister of state for tourism and culture, I planned to ask a few questions about tourism.īefore meeting Khanna, I had done my home work well. The condition of electricity supply was also much to be desired for. With Digvijaya Singh as the chief minister, the Congress was in power in Madhya Pradesh back then. Hence, I went to meet him and elicit his views on several issues. He was a first-term BJP Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur in Punjab. Khanna was on a visit to Bhopal in December 2002. He was a Union minister of state for tourism and culture in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, and I was a principal correspondent with Hindustan Times in Bhopal.
It was about 15 years ago that for the first time I met veteran actor and politician Vinod Khanna, who passed away today at the age of 70 after battling cancer for many years.