---at http://www/tinyurl.com/43bhtg
Central Texas Hindu temple founder arrested on child sex charges CBS 42 Reporter: Alexis Patterson Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Last Update: 9:52 pm Print Story | Email Story Hindi Leader Arrested Archive Video: Opening of Barsana Dham Temple/1995 Related Links Barsana Dham Web site Prakashanand Saraswati founded the Barsana Dham temple in Southwest Austin in 1995. The founder of a South Austin Hindu temple is preparing to return to Central Texas to face charges of indecency with a child. The founder of the Barsana Dham temple in Hays County faces twenty counts of having sexual contact with two girls. Hindu followers CBS 42 spoke to say they are surprised by the allegations, because of the tenets of their faith. For the people who worship at Barsana Dham, Prakashanand Saraswati is a spiritual leader. To Hays County authorities, he's a suspected child molester. "Hinduism says not to abuse anybody - not a child, not a woman," says Nirakasha Tripathi, who visited the temple Friday during a cross- country trip. "Hinduism is basically - you have to do good karma. You have to stay with your karma. If you do bad things, you will get punished." The indictments against Saraswati allege he inappropriately touched two girls more than 12 years ago. The investigation began in 2007. "Swami Prakashanand Saraswati has spent his entire life serving humanity and upholding the tenets of our faith," says Prabhakari Devi, vice president of Barsana Dham. Devi says the accusations are sad but completely untrue. "No one who knows him could ever think such thoughts, let alone believe that he could do something such as this," says Devi. A Hindu follower who worships at the Austin Hindu Temple (not affiliated with Barsana Dham) says the allegations do not match up with what the faith demands. "It restricts us to say you should not cause harm to anybody, by thought - not even by thought," says Jagannath Vedula. According to the grand jury, there is enough evidence of harm to warrant charges. Meanwhile services go on at the temple, which is preparing for a traditional Indian fair Saturday. U.S. Marshals arrested Saraswati Thursday afternoon at a Washington, D.C. airport. He is not fighting extradition to Texas. It is unclear when he'll be back in Hays County. Related Links Wikipedia article The Barsana Dham Web site says "his Divinity Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, is lovingly called Shree Swamiji by the devotees." (barsanadham.org) Saraswati is the founder of Barsana Dham center located on FM 1826 in Hays County, south of Austin. The center's Web site describes the center as "the place on the earth where the Divine glory of God permeates the atmosphere and glorifies the land in Barsana Dham." His biography on the Web site states "When Shree Swamiji speaks, his teachings go deep into the heart, and the warmth of his love develops a desire in the listener's heart to meet Shree Maharajji and Radha Krishn, the supreme Divine beloved of every soul." A Wikipedia article describes Saraswati as "the foremost disciple of Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj, an Indian Hindu Spiritual Teacher." The Web site also states that "in 1990, he founded the one of the largest Hindu temples in the United States, Barsana Dham of Austin, Texas." Saraswati waived extradition but Sheriff's officials will not say when he is scheduled to be back in Hays County. Copyright 2008, Four Points Media Group LLC. All Rights Reserved. Save/Share Story In [email protected], "wayback71" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > His bio on the website of Barsana Dham says that in 1952 he was asked to become the > Shankaracharya of Jyoir Math. And that he refused. > > --- In [email protected], "Rick Archer" <rick@> wrote: > > > > HYPERLINK > > "http://www.keyetv.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=f373cc46- 14cf-4228- > > b384-24a62432fac8"http://www.keyetv.com/mostpopular/story.aspx? content_id=f3 > > 73cc46-14cf-4228-b384-24a62432fac8 > > > > IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > > > ARREST/INDECENCY WITH A CHILD 4-25-08 > > > > ON 4-25-08, AT APPROXIMATELY 3PM, THE U.S. MARSHAL'S SERVICE, WORKING IN > > COOPERATION WITH THE HAYS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARRESTED PRAKASHANAND > > SARASWATI, DOB 01-15-29, KNOWN TO HIS FOLLOWERS AS SHREE SWAMIJI, AT DULLES > > AIRPORT IN WASHINGTON DC. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO ALEXANDRA, VIRGINIA WHERE > > HE IS IN CUSTODY AT THIS TIME. > > > > HE WAS ARRESTED ON INDICTMENTS ALLEGING TWENTY COUNTS OF INDECENCY WITH A > > CHILD/SEXUAL CONTACT. THE INDICTMENTS STEM FROM AN INVESTIGATION THAT > BEGAN > > IN AUGUST 2007 BY THE HAYS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS > > DIVISION AND THE HAYS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. THE INDICTMENTS > > WERE ISSUED IN APRIL 2008. > > > > SARASWATI HAS WAIVED EXTRADITION AND ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO > TRANSPORT > > BACK TO HAYS COUNTY. > > > > SARASWATI IS THE FOUNDER OF BARSANA DHAM CENTER LOCATED ON FM 1826 IN > HAYS > > COUNTY. > > > > DUE TO THE INTEGRITY AND SENSITIVE NATURE OF THIS INVESTIGATION, NO FURTHER > > INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED AT THIS TIME. > > > > ****PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT HAYS COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. MEDIA > > CALLS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE MEDIA CONTACTS PAGER AT 512-395- 2117. > > > > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > > Checked by AVG. > > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.4/1397 - Release Date: 4/25/2008 > > 7:42 AM > > >
