Within the TM orgs, January 12 is celebrated as the Maharishi's birthdate. There are celebrations held in many of the Orgs' capitals and centers.
But were you aware there is a controversy over his actual birthdate?
- The Wikipedia gives the Maharishi's birthdate as January 12th, 1917.
- The Encyclopedia and Answers.com give his birth year as 1911.
- New Religious Movement scholar J. Gordon Melton -- whom some call a cult apologist -- offers birthdates for the Maharishi from 1911 to 1918.
- Sujit R. Varma gives his birthday as October 11, 1918 on the Internet Movie Database as does the Kevo biographical database.
Why -- other than common human vanity about age -- would the Maharishi lie about his birthdate? It is rumored by critics that the Maharishi falsely reports his birthdate as January 12, 1917 because this is an astrologically auspicious date for a world religious leader.
