Controversial Baikuntha Dham Ashram razed to ground in Bhubaneswar

Bulldozers on Friday razed to ground the contentious Baikuntha Dham Ashram that hit headlines after a man hurt the sentiments of people by portraying his son as ‘Kalki’, the tenth incarnation of ‘Lord Vishnu’.

Following a court directive, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) demolished the controversial Ashram located in Bhubaneswar's Khandagiri area. The Ashram was demolished in the presence of senior officials of BDA, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), and Tata Power.

Apprehending any untoward incident during the eviction, Tata Power disconnected the electrical supply to the premises, effectively rendering the ashram non-operational.

Also Read: Row over ‘Kalki Avatar boy’: Baikuntha Dham Ashram in Bhubaneswar constructed on govt land, says GA Dept

To maintain law and order, one platoon of police force has also been stationed at the site to oversee the eviction process. The BDA had issued an ultimatum to vacate the premises by noon today, resulting in evacuation activities commencing last night. Furniture and other items from the ashram were relocated to alternative locations.

Attempts had previously been made to mislead the High Court with inaccurate reports regarding the ashram's occupation status. However, these attempts failed as the stay order was recently lifted. Following extensive discussions, the BDA made the decision to proceed with the demolition.

Authorities urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with officials to ensure a peaceful resolution.

Worth mentioning, the ashram was in the news for the wrong reasons as a minor boy was allegedly being worshipped as Lord Vishnu's 'Kalki' avatar.

Odisha Samajsebi Mahasangha lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that Kashinath Mishra was claiming that his son was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Mishra had been placing tulsi leaves and Bhagavad Gita at the feet of his son and worshipping him at the ashram, as per the complaint.

The photos of the boy being worshipped had also gone viral on social media platforms.