UP Hathras stampede: Who is Naryan Hari aka ‘Bhole Baba’?

Many devotees were killed when a rush broke out at a satsang in Hathras on Tuesday evening. The spiritual master Narayan Sakar Vishva Hari Bhole Baba was the one organizing the event.

The incident happened in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district, specifically in the Sikandararao area. Known by many as Baba Narayan Sakar Hari of Patiyali, Narayan Sakar Hari and his spouse lead satsangs called "Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam."

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A follower claims that Bhole Baba had no religious tutor and that shortly after he retired from duty on his own volition, he experienced a "vision" of the god, which led him to pursue spiritual activities. His'satsangs' were held on Tuesdays, and last week, in the Mainpuri district, he conducted an event akin to it before the Hathras.

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When he asked for permission to have just 50 people attend a satsang in the Farrukhabad district in May 2022, he courted controversy during the Covid epidemic. But the congregation ballooned to more than fifty thousand, which gave the local government a serious difficulty.

According to accounts, the stampede that occurred during Tuesday's Hathras ceremony occurred because Bhole Baba's attendants prevented attendees from exiting the venue in the sweltering heat so that the preacher and his entourage could go first. The stampede occurred as anarchy broke out as people were allowed to leave.