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{{Short description|Hindu organisation}}
'''Bhakti Marga''' is a spiritual organisation founded by [[Vishwananda]]. It views itself standing in the tradition of the Sri Vaishnava ''[[sampradaya]]'', into which Vishwananda has been initiated.<ref name="ezw1"/> It represents ''[[vishishtadvaita]]'' philosophy, translated as "qualified monism". According to it, all souls are a part of God and can reflect him, but are not identical with him.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stafford |first=Betty |date=2010 |title=Dvaita, Advaita, and Viśiṣṭādvaita: Contrasting Views of Mokṣa |journal=Asian Philosophy: An International Journal of the Philosophical Traditions of the East |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=215-224}}</ref> The aim of the teaching is to purify the soul through devotion to God. This is done by repeating [[mantra]]s (e.g. the ''ashtakshara mantra''), singing [[bhajan]]s, rituals ([[Puja (Hinduism)|pujas]] and [[yajna]]s) and [[karma yoga]].

== Ashrams ==
[[File:Vishnu narasimha.JPG|thumb|alt=Narasimha|Narasimha, a fierce avatar of Vishnu, is prominently worshipped in Bhakti Marga ashrams]]
Every Bhakti Marga Ashram has at least one temple, which in turn often contains several idols representing deities. In addition to various Hindu deities, [[Vaishnava]] and non-vaishnava, Babaji and Ramanuja are worshipped as gurus in the main temple in Springen.<ref name="faz">{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Maus |date=10 September 2018 |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/hindu-tempel-der-bhakti-marga-hat-hauptsitz-in-hessen-15779772.html |title=Der Ashram im Taunus |trans-title=Ashram in Taunus |lang=de |newspaper=[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]}}</ref> The main deities in Sri Vaishnava are [[Narayana]] and [[Lakshmi]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Bhakti Schools of Vedanta |first=Svami |last=Tapasyananda |publisher=Sri Ramakrishna Math |place=Mylapore, Madras |isbn=81-7120-226-8 |pages=31-33}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Sri Ramanuja Gita Bhasya |translator=Svami Adidevanand |publisher=Sri Ramakrishna Math |place=Mylapore, Madras |isbn=81-7823-290-1 |chapter=Introduction |first=Svami |last=Tapasyananda |pages=9-40}}</ref> who are also worshiped in the Bhakti Marga temples.<ref name="deityweb">{{cite web |author=''Shree Peetha Nilaya'' staff |date=August 2023 |title=Serve a deity program |website=Shree Peetha Nilaya |url=https://shreepeethanilaya.org/serve-a-deity/ |access-date=2023-08-26}}</ref> However, many other deities are also worshiped, some of which belong to the Vaishnava pantheon ([[Radha]] and [[Krishna]]), but some of them do not. This worship of non-vaishnava gurus and deities, like [[Shiva]] and [[Durga]],<ref name="tsf">{{cite newspaper |title="Ele é um avatar de amor." A comunidade hindu do Porto que adora o guru de Rui Patrício como deus
|first=Catarina Maldonado |last=Vasconcelos |date=20 April 2021 |url=https://www.tsf.pt/portugal/sociedade/ele-e-um-avatar-de-amor-a-comunidade-hindu-do-porto-que-adora-o-guru-de-rui-patricio-como-deus-13589818.html |lang=pt |trans-title="He is an avatar of love." The Hindu community in Porto that worships Rui Patrício's guru as a god |newspaper=TSF}}</ref> distinguishes Bhakti Marga from other Vaishnava religions, like Shri Vaishnava, or [[Gaudiya Vaishnava]], which is known in western countries mainly through the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishna]] movement.<ref>{{cite book |title=Caitanya caritamrta of Krsnadasa Kaviraja: a translation and commentary |first=Edward C., Jr. |last=Dimock |editor-first=Tony K. |editor-last=Steward |series=Harvard Oriental Series |volume=65 |year=2000 |isbn=0-674-00285-7 |chapter=Adi Lila, Chapter 17, verses 33 ff}}</ref>

In addition, the Ashram in Springen contains a Russian Orthodox chapel, in which there are also relics of Christian saints.<ref name="ezw1">{{cite journal |first=Friedmann |last=Eißler |date=January 2020 |url=https://www.ezw-berlin.de/html/15_10383.php |title=Bhakti Marga in der Kritik |trans-title=Bhakti Marga in criticism |journal=Zeitschrift für Religion und Weltanschauung |trans-journal=Journal of Religion and Worldview |lang=de}}</ref> It is not uncommon in the syncretistic system of Hinduism for Christ to be viewed as the avatar of Vishnu. However, there are currently no liturgical services in the chapel. Building of the temple has cost more than one million euros. The movement claims to have between 30 and 50 centres or temples worldwide, some of them rather small.<ref name="faz"/>

In November 2020 it became known that Bhakti Marga in [[Kirchheim, Hesse|Kirchheim]] in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district of [[Hesse]] wants to set up its Hindu Germany center in the area of the Seepark Kirchheim holiday complex, which includes its own lake.<ref name="hersfeld">{{Cite news |first=Bernd |last=Löwenberger |date= 18 November 2020 |url=https://www.hersfelder-zeitung.de/bad-hersfeld/seepark-kirchheim-verkauft-hindu-religionszentrum-geplant-90103602.html |title=Seepark Kirchheim verkauft: Aus für das Hotel, Hindu-Religionszentrum geplant |trans-title=Seepark Kirchheim sold: Planned out for the hotel, Hindu religious center |newspaper=Hersfelder Zeitung}}</ref>

In January 2022 Bhakti Marga purchased a former Catholic Church in [[West Elmira, New York]], the former ''Our Lady of Lourdes parish'', to become its first Ashram and temple in America.<ref>{{cite news |first=Carl |last=Aldinger |date=September 7, 2022 |url=https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/local-news/hindu-spiritual-group-moves-into-former-west-elmira-catholic-church/ |title=Hindu spiritual group moves into former West Elmira Catholic Church |newspaper=MyTwinTiers.com}}</ref> According to Swami Tulsidas, Bhakti Marga's representative in North America, the main deity in the new ashram will be that of [[Narasimha]], the Hindu man-lion, an Avatar of [[Vishnu]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XXVGCDRpx0 ELMIRA: New Ashram and Mandir Announcement], YouTube Video</ref>

== Just Love Festival ==
Since 2015, Bhakti Marga has held a large, multi-day festival in Germany every year, the Just Love Festival, which attracts up to 3,000 visitors. The duration of the festival varies between three and ten days. During the festival, various spiritual music bands from different countries play, mainly [[bhajan]]s and [[kirtan]]s, but these can be interpreted differently, so [[Sanskrit]] hymns are also being [[Rapping|rapped]]. The event is usually in the summer, the focus of the festival is [[Guru Purnima]], a Hindu festival held every year in honor of the guru, spiritual or academic, on a full moon day. As a supporting program there are exhibitions of arts and crafts, a bazaar, a vegan restaurant, and various teaching lectures and workshops by Bhakti Marga teachers.<ref name="faz"/> "Just Love" is also the slogan of Bhakti Marga. It is meant to express the ideal of the movement, which places love at the center of life, love for God, but also love for the guru or the community.

==Controversial activities==
On December 10, 2016, Bhakti Marga carried out a group chanting at the [[Mauthausen concentration camp]] in Austria. Critics accused Bhakti Marga of exploitation and relativization of the [[holocaust]].<ref name="welt">{{cite news |first=Martin |last=Niewendick |date=3 March 2018 |url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article174140671/KZ-Gedenkstaette-Buchenwald-Bhatki-Marga-Bewegung-plant-Om-Chanting.html |title=Spirituelle Gruppe will KZ-Gedenkstätte mit Ritual „heilen“ |trans-title=Spiritual group wants to heal concentration camp |lang=de |newspaper=[[Die Welt]]}}</ref><ref name="vice">{{cite magazine |first=Philipp |last=Sommer |date=2 March 2018 |url=https://www.vice.com/de/article/pamw7y/dieser-kult-will-im-kz-buchenwald-meditieren |title=Dieser Kult will in Konzentrationslagern meditieren |trans-title=This cult wants to meditate at concentration camps |lang=de |magazine=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]}}</ref>

On March 17, 2018, Bhakti Marga carried out a group chanting at the [[Buchenwald concentration camp]], which led to protests.<ref name="welt"/><ref name="vice"/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite news |title=Global Hindu group welcomes leader for blessing ceremony in West Elmira |first=Carl |last=Aldinger |date=September 8, 2022 |url=https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/top-stories/global-hindu-group-welcomes-leader-for-blessing-ceremony-in-west-elmira/ |work=MyTwinTiers.com |access-date=2023-08-25}}
*{{cite book |last=Haigh |first=Martin J. |chapter=Geogpraphical Spread of Hindu Religion and Culture into the West |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=R. S. |year=2022 |title=Practising Cultural Geographies: Essays in Honour of Rana P. B. Singh |place=Singapore |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-9811664151 |pages=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Practising_Cultural_Geographies/StRwEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA224 224ff]}}
*{{cite web |author=''The Pillar'' staff |date=March 24, 2022 |title=Mary statue to return from Hindu group to NY parish |website=The Pillar |url=https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/mary-statue-to-return-from-hindu |access-date=2023-08-25}}

==External links==
*{{official website|https://bhaktimarga.org/}}

[[Category:Hindu organizations]]

Bhakti Marga (organisation) - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article