How Dera Sacha Sauda head Ram Rahim Singh refurbishes damaged cars

NEW DELHI: This could probably fit in somewhere between Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Call it The Godman and the Rebuilt Honda Accord in Lime Green and Sunshine Yellow. But it's not a book. Instead, it has alloy wheels, plush leather seating, a passing resemblance to the Bugatti Veyron, and even a heart-shaped grill. What's not to love?

The vehicle is the work of Ram Rahim Singh—head of the Dera Sacha Sauda religious sect, film star, rock star, and now car designer. He starts with autos that are being auctioned after accident damage. The baba draws the design on a piece of paper, which is then given to a dozen-strong team made up mostly of Dera followers. The panels are hand beaten in a workshop at Dera headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana. There's no expensive equipment. All the work is based on the baba's belief that "any vehicle can be hand built," according to Dera spokesperson Aditya Insan.

None of the workers or the Dera chief have any engineering background. It's a skill that comes from somewhere deep within, presumably. "Cars, all kinds of machinery, have remained Guruji's passion since childhood," he told ET.

The rapper baba has modified about 100 such vehicles, of which more than 60 are said to have been sold. The buyers, other than his ardent followers, include industrialists, builders and businessmen from different parts of Punjab and Haryana. One 'supercar' rebuilt from a damaged Honda that was acquired for Rs 2 lakh got resold for Rs 10 lakh. He's got an offer of over Rs 1 crore for the revamped Accord cited above, a Dera follower said. Ram Rahim is using the car to promote his upcoming movie MSG II.