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PUNE, July 8: Four years back, Swami Chaitanya Bharati, seemed to be the beacon of hope for hundreds of Indian Osho sannyasins, who felt bet...

PUNE, July 8: Four years back, Swami Chaitanya Bharati, seemed to be the beacon of hope for hundreds of Indian Osho sannyasins, who felt betrayed and discriminated at the Osho Commune, in Koregaon Park. Bharati, who conducts Osho meditation camps all over the country showed signs of being THE `rebel’ sannyasin and was all set to don the garb of gurudom, quite literally in an alternate form of his own guru, Osho. He was also set afire with the dream of establishing an alternate commune too….

Four years down the line, Swami Chaitanya Bharati, continues to be huddled in his cosy apartment, in the backyards of Koregoan Park, where he had talked about his vision of being the nucleus of dissent Indian sannyasins and the setting up of an alternative commune around Lonavla. While the Commune plans have gathered dust, he still plays a guru to a handful of followers. “I initiate Osho sannyasins, on behalf of Osho (not the Osho Commune)” he says proudly at the various meditation camps held throughout the country. And claims to have initiated about 400 odd youngsters between the age group of 20 to 40. They are all Osho sannyasins, he says, abiding by his master’s philosophy of life.

This follower of Osho, who was with him since 1971, used to click pictures of Osho. That was his passion. While enlarged prints of Osho stud his apartment today, Swami Bharati would like to be known for something other than an Osho dissident or a rebel. Though, he would still like to be called a guru, of course, irrespective of his innocuous presence! Strain-ed relationship with the commune seems to have obliterated as he dances to different strains of music altogether, these days.

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“Osho-Oorja music” he calls this music and elaborates, “is the omnipotent life energy which is the source of all manifestation. Oorja is that energy from which the entire universe comes into being and into which it dissolves.” And, one must say, quite admirably, the musician in him has blossomed beautifully and it was a treat listening to the kirtans he has created. Today, on Guru Poornima, is the launch of a five audio-cassette pack comprising `Oorja’ music. It will be held at Shatranj in Hotel Green Plaza, in Koregaon Park. It is a live concert, based on the cassettes. Comprising kirtans and instrumentals, 20 vocal and instrumental artists will perform at this inaugural ceremony.

Swami Bharati puts on one of the cassettes – the kirtan is – Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram – it reverberates within your inner being and sparkles with enthusiasm. The kirtan was delightful, not monotonous. Explains Bharati, “Osho asked me to sing on the roads and since 1971, I set up this Swami Chaitanya Bharati Kirtan Mandali. Ever since, I dreamt of a huge crowd before me, listening to my kirtans. My dream has come true after almost 30 years.”

What’s so special about his kirtans? Says he, “For the first time, the sarod, sitar, sarangi and violin have been in kirtans. My kirtans are both, meditative and medicative. Slowly and steadily, it grows on the person, gives him the desire to create something.” Adds Swami Gyan Surti, one of his disciples who is closely associated with this project, “It is devotional music in a classical form, the kind you have never heard before.” Bharati proudly states, “Oorja is a truly original form of music and has its base in all religions – Buddhism, Hinduism…’ And pray, what about Osho? “Everything is dedicated to Osho, of course. My next project is going to be Osho Sharanam Gachami. The recording has been done by the Ishwani Kendra in Vadgaon Sheri and the quality is quite superior.”

Now, will this new project of blissful music prove to be nirvana for Swami Chaitanya Bharati, after traversing on roads that never led to success? It almost seems like a change of track – from master to maestro, what?