From Maharaji to Prem Rawat

The transition from Guru Maharaj Ji and Divine Light Mission to Maharaji and Elan Vital happened quickly at a time when Guru Maharaj Ji/Maharaji/Prem Rawat was attempting (mostly successfully) not to attract any publicity at all and even the premies themselves had to learn of the changes through word-of-mouth in most cases. As far as I know it was only mentioned in the Guardian 20 years later as background to a story about astrology.

1981-1985

1986 - 89

The renaming process was well summarised in "Yoga in Britain: Stretching Spirituality and Educating Yogis" by Suzanne Newcombe © 2019.

During the 1970s, a series of internal problems and negative publicity led to Prem Rawat closing all his ashrams in 1982 and reforming his global followers under the name of Élan Vital (1984-2010). By the late 1980s, the movement (then known as Élan Vital) claimed 1,420 committed supporters, who pledged £5 a month to Prem Rawat (then known as Maharaji), with 5,000 on the mailing list and 7,000 individuals practicing his techniques called 'the Knowledge'. Since 2010, Prem Rawat has been talking about 'The Knowledge' under his own name and audiences of 2 to 3,000 on visits to Britain, now largely drawn from the diasporic north Indian population.