Tom started practicing yoga and meditation(Tom)

Mahakumbh Nagar: At first glance, Vyasanand Giri looks like other Mahamandaleshwars in Mahakumbh and is seen roaming around in Niranjani Akhara where he was made Mahamandaleshwar on Sunday. One thing that sets him apart from saints of other Akharas is that he is the son  (Tom)  of a former US Army commander. Vyasanand Giri does not answer any questions on this subject, but Mahant Ravindra Puri of Panchayati Akhara Shri Niranjani confirmed that this is true.

He was so passionate about spirituality that he renounced everything

Ravindra Puri said, “Tom is the son of a former senior commander of the US Army and was doing a good job in an IT company. But he was so passionate about spirituality that he decided to renounce everything.” Elaborating on the spiritual journey of Tom becoming Mahamandaleshwar Vyasanand Giri, Puri said, “Tom used to work in the IT sector. After some time, his inclination towards spirituality increased and he decided to embrace Sanatan Dharma and eventually took sanyaas. He started doing yoga and meditation, did a lot of research on Hinduism and Sanatani culture. He used to visit Rishikesh frequently and meet me for the last few years.”

Tom was consecrated as Mahamandaleshwar
He revealed that after a spiritual ceremony on Sunday, he gave Tom a new name Vyasanand Giri and consecrated him as Mahamandaleshwar. Puri, the president of the Akhara Parishad, said, “It means that someone has awakened the soul, got a hold on meditation and yoga and learned to control the senses. This position means that he is ready to sacrifice his life to protect Sanatan Dharma and after being convinced that Tom is ready for his spiritual journey, we performed his Pattabhishek.”

Tom can meditate for a long time
When asked how can a foreigner be made a Mahant if he follows Hindu rituals, he said, “It is not like that. Many of these foreigners are better than us. When they go into meditation, they get immersed in it.” He said, “We have seen that many Indians get disturbed by mosquito bites, they start feeling sleepy while meditating. Whereas in Tom’s case, we found that he can meditate for a long time.”

‘Many Muslims want to become sanyasis after adopting Sanatan Dharma’
When asked how many Mahamandaleshwars were made by Niranjani Akhara since the 2019 Kumbh, he said, “I think we have made 30 Mahamandaleshwars so far. Tom is one of the five-six foreigners from countries like America, Malaysia.” He said that many foreigners following different religions are inspired by Sanatan across the world and that is why they are coming to Sanatan Dharma and feel that they are returning to their roots. He said, “There are many Muslims too, about 100 of whom have contacted me. They want to become sanyasis after adopting Sanatan Dharma. I get hundreds of calls from non-Hindus.”