The marble spires of the temple in the sprawling Dudhadhari Ashram complex reek more of prosperity than piety. It is early afternoon and for the second day in a row, scores of TV crews and reporters swirl outside its gate. VHP bosses Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia are ensconced within and immersed, we are told, in the elaborate ‘‘anushthan’’ (special prayers) dedicated to the welfare of the ‘‘Hindu samaj.’’There are no signs of any ceremony though—no sound of conch shells, no smell of dhoop, no smoke from a havan, no chanting of slokas. And, in a sharp departure from the VHP’s usual penchant for publicity, no witness to the grand ‘‘anushthan’’ either.The reason, a local reporter says, is that there is nothing going on inside at all. Politicians, when they want to avoid callers, claim to be in the bathroom. Holy men of the VHP kind use the ‘‘anushthan’’ ruse.The Dudhadhari Ashram does not exactly invoke awe or faith among the local populace. The ashram, locals allege, is involved in several property disputes. The ashram’s maharaj is VHP chief Ashok Singhal’s guru and ‘‘partner.’’ Its luxurious expanse is the favoured retreat of the VHP brass when they look for rest and recreation, when they need to plan and plot.Less than 2 km away, the RSS national executive meeting is on at the Kacchi Ashram. BJP chief L K Advani, suitably chastened by the barrage of criticism from swayamsevaks and promising to stay the Hindutva course, has come and gone. Venkaiah Naidu is still around.As soon as Naidu departs, the prayers inside Dudhadhari Ashram come to an abrupt end. Togadia emerges freshly bathed, dapperly dressed, spouting his trademark venom. Do away with Haj subsidy and give a rebate on LPG cylinders to housewives instead; the rising Muslim population is causing an ‘‘economic crisis’’ for the nation, he thunders before proceeding to attend the RSS meet. He is joined by Ashok Singhal.Their bluster notwithstanding, Togadia and Singhal are not the ‘‘lunatic fringe’’ of the Sangh Parivar they are often made out to be. The RSS made it clear at Hardwar.The BJP had promised to return to Hindutva. Let us see if they do, said RSS general secretary Mohan Bhagwat—who commands more respect from the saffron rank and file than sarsanghchalak K Sudarshan. Refusing to spell out a deadline, Bhagwat made it clear that they would not wait endlessly. Hindutva, he added, was no abstraction. The BJP’s promise would be measured in concrete terms—its attitude towards Ram Mandir, on cow protection, and similar ‘‘pro-Hindu’’ concerns.As the self-styled champions of Hindu interests fulminate against the ‘‘demographic threats’’ to the country posed by ‘‘conversions’’ and ‘‘infiltration,’’ in nearby Rishikesh, Hinduism is alive and thriving. In the gentle November sun, the Ganga flows down from the Himalayas in all its serenity. Flocks of black cormorants skim over the glistening waters, swooping down every now and then to swallow a live fish. Boats ply from the Muni ki Reti ghats to the Swargashram pier across the river, carrying visitors and pilgrims from all corners of India. Wizened old men sell flowers on the ghats—as simple an offering as any to Ganga Ma.
