Editing Divine Light Mission (section)

===Festivals===
[[Festival]]s were a regular part of the Divine Light Mission's activities and a source of revenue. Members would pay from $50 to $100 to attend, and [[Darśana|Darshan]] events would generate considerable donations.<ref>"Financing the New Religions: Comparative and Theoretical Considerations" JAMES T. RICHARDSON p.259</ref> The DLM celebrated three main festivals: Holi, which is celebrated in late March or early April; Guru Puja, which was held in July; and Hans Jayanti, which falls in November.<ref>435 A.2d 1368. Supreme Judicial Court of Maine. Mark A. ''DOTTER v. MAINE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMISSION''. Argued 2 March 1981. Decided 19 October 1981. [[s:Dotter v. Maine Employment Sec. Commission 435 A.2d 1368]]</ref> Hans Jayanti marks the birthday of the DLM's founder.<ref>Galanter (1999), p. 20</ref> According to [[Marc Galanter (MD)|Marc Galanter]], the members at a festival in Orlando, Florida "looked as though they had been drawn from the graduate campus of a large university—bright, not too carefully groomed, casually dressed. They were lively, good-tempered, and committed to their mutual effort. There was no idleness, brashness, marijuana, beer, loud music, or flirtation—all hallmarks of a more typical assembly of people in their twenties".<ref>Galanter (1999), pp. 22-28</ref> Other festivals were held nationally and locally, and sometimes organized with little advance notice. Attending as many as ten festivals a year meant many members were unable to hold regular full-time jobs, and required sacrificing leisure and community activities in order to devote time to earning the money needed to attend.<ref>DuPertuis (1986), p. 118</ref>

In 1972, seven [[Boeing 747|jumbo jet]]s were chartered to bring members from the U.S. and other countries to the Hans Jayanti festival held at the main ashram near [[New Delhi]]. 2500 foreign members camped out at the mission's "city of love" for a month.<ref name=autogenerated3>"Some feel the youth is fraud" Long Beach, Calif., Sun., 19 December 1972 ''INDEPENDENT, PRESS-TELEGRAM'' A-27</ref> The event attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees.<ref>"Guru's Pupil Slates Talk", ''SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD'' 3 February 1973. p. 3</ref> When Rawat flew to India to attend he was accused of attempting to smuggle $65,000 worth of cash and jewelry into the country, but no charges were ever filed,<ref name="CBY1974">Moritz, (1974)</ref> and the Indian government later issued an apology.<ref>Downton (1979), pp. 187-8</ref><ref>"The Mini-Guru: Discourse on Maharaj Ji is scheduled in Wiesbaden" J. KING CRUGER, 3 February 1973 ''THE STARS AND STRIPES'' Page 9</ref> The accusation led to negative coverage in the Indian press and hard feelings between Rawat and his mother, who had persuaded him to return to India for the festival.<ref name=autogenerated3 />

In June 1973, the British DLM, with Prem Rawat's mother acting on behalf of her son, organized the 'Festival of Love' at [[Alexandra Palace]] in London. While it drew thousands of attendees, Rawat began receiving hostile press coverage, partly due to his showing up late, or not at all, at scheduled appearances. The membership had grown very rapidly but the organizers had no clear idea where to lead the following, nor did they have the financial resources to maintain so many full-time workers.<ref name="Price 1979"/>

====Millennium '73====
{{main|Millennium '73}}
The 1973 Hans Jayanti festival was held at the [[Astrodome]] in [[Houston, Texas]], and publicized as "Millennium '73".<ref>"Under the Astrodome: Maharaj Ji – The Selling of a Guru", Gregg Kilday, Los Angeles Times, 13 November 1973</ref> The free three-day event was billed as "the most significant event in human history" that would herald "a thousand years of peace for people who want peace", the idea being that peace would come to the world as individuals experienced inner peace.<ref name = "nytmillennium" /> To promote the event, Prem Rawat's 20-year-old brother, Bhole Ji Rawat toured with a 60-piece band, [[Blue Aquarius]] for two weeks giving free concerts.<ref>"'Round and About" ''The Vidville Messenger''. Valparaiso, Indiana, 25 October 1973</ref> The 500-member tour was dubbed "Soul Rush" and traveled to seven cities on the way to Houston.<ref>Collier (1978), p. 170</ref>

[[Rennie Davis]], well known as one of the defendants in the [[Chicago Seven]] trial, attracted extensive media coverage as a spokesperson for Rawat.<ref name="tvmeditating">"TV: Meditating on a Young Guru and His Followers", by John O'Connor, New York Times, 25 February 1974</ref><ref name="nytoz" /><ref>"Houston's Version of Peace in Our Time" GREGG KILDAY, Los Angeles Times 25 November 1973 p. S18</ref> At the event, Davis declared that "All I can say is, honestly, very soon now, every single human being will know the one who was waited for by every religion of all times has actually come."<ref name="Kent 2001, p. 52">Kent (2001), p. 52</ref> In a [[press conference]] at Millennium, Rawat denied being the Messiah, and when asked by reporters about the contradictions between what he said about himself and what his followers said about him, Rawat replied, "Why don't you do me a favor&nbsp;... why don't you go to the devotees and ask their explanation about it?"<ref>Rolling Stone Magazine Issue N°156 – 14 March 1974 (Page 36-50)</ref> While Rawat's brother Satpal was nominally in charge of the festival, Davis was the "General Coordinator" and handled the details.<ref name="Collier 1978">Collier (1978)</ref>

Expectations for the event were very high, with predictions that it would attract more than 100,000,<ref>"A LOOK BACK AT THE '70S" HENRY ALLEN, Los Angeles Times 16 December 1979; p. K30</ref> or even as many as 400,000 people from Satpal. Davis privately said he thought 22,000 was a more realistic estimate and reserved 22,000 hotel beds.<ref>Collier (1978), p. 159</ref> There was even talk about a space in the parking lot reserved for a flying saucer to land.<ref name=autogenerated7>Kent (2001), p. 156</ref> When Satpal heard about the flying saucer he said, "If you see any, just give them some of our literature".<ref name=autogenerated1 />
The actual attendance was estimated at 35,000, and at 10,000 by police.<ref name = "nytmillennium" /><ref>Foss & Larkin (1978), pp. 157-164 "in fact attended by a maximum of 35,000</ref>

The event featured spectacular staging, a 56-piece rock band and a giant video screen that showed a barrage of shots from the tumultuous 1960s.<ref name="autogenerated5" /><ref name = "nytmillennium">"Guru's Followers Cheer 'Millennium' in Festivities in Astrodome", by Eleanor Blau, New York Times, 12 November 1973</ref><ref>"Maharaji Ji: The Selling of a Guru, 1973", by Gregg Killday, Los Angeles Times, 13 November 1973, p. D1</ref> Though it was not covered by the national television news, it did get extensive coverage in the print media. The premies were reported to be "cheerful, friendly and unruffled, and seemed nourished by their faith". To the 400 premie parents who attended, Rawat "was a rehabilitator of prodigal sons and daughters".<ref>"Oz in the Astrodome" Ted Morgen New York Times</ref> Media people found a "confused jumble of inarticulately expressed ideas."<ref>Collier (1978), p. 176</ref> It was depicted in the award-winning U.S. documentary [[Lord of the Universe (documentary)|"Lord of the Universe"]] broadcast by [[PBS|PBS Television]] in 1974.<ref name="tvmeditating" /><ref>"Videotape Explorers on the Trail of a Guru" by Dick Adler, Los Angeles Times, 23 February 1974 p. B2</ref> The event was called the "youth culture event of the year".<ref name="Foss & Larkin 1978">Foss & Larkin (1978)</ref> Singer-songwriter [[Loudon Wainwright III]] visited the festival and later remarked that while the premies inside were looking happy the ones outside were arguing with [[Jesus Freak]]s and [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishnas]]. Wainwright's song "I am the Way" was partly inspired by Prem Rawat.<ref>"They Won't Boo Loudon Any Longer", Grace Lichtenstein, ''New York Times'', 3 February 1974</ref>

At the festival, Larry Bernstein, a prize-winning, 41-year-old architect described a "Divine City" to be built from the ground up starting the following year. It was to feature translucent hexagonal plastic houses stacked on concrete columns and connected with monorails. Polluting vehicles would be replaced by electric vehicles, and solar power would be used to provide energy. Cards would replace cash. The use of advanced technologies to ensure pollution-free air, Rennie Davis told a journalist, would be a practical demonstration of what it means to have Heaven on Earth.<ref name=autogenerated12>Kopkind (1995), p. 234</ref> Two sites were suggested: either the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] or somewhere near [[Santa Barbara, California]].<ref name="nytoz">"Oz in the Astrodome", by Ted Morgan, New York Times, 9 December 1973</ref><ref name=autogenerated7 /> The former president and vice president of the DLM later said that Prem Rawat had spoken frequently of building such a city.<ref name=autogenerated11>"Two ex-cult officers see possible Guyana repeat", UPI, ''Newport Rhode Island Daily News'' 25 November 1978. p. 8</ref> Plans for the city were delayed amid the fiscal crisis following the Millennium festival.<ref name = "isbn0-8423-6417-X"/> Incorporation papers for the formation of the "City of Love and Light Unlimited, Inc." were filed in Colorado in 1974, and there was a failed attempt in 1975 to build the community near San Antonio, Texas.<ref>Rudin & Rudin (1980), p. 62</ref>

The DLM incurred a debt estimated between $600,000 and over $1 million, attributed to poor management and low attendance.<ref>Khalsa (1986)</ref><ref name=autogenerated10>Stoner & Parke (1977)</ref><ref name="Pilarzyk 1978">Pilarzyk (1978)</ref> The debt severely damaged the DLM's finances.<ref name="Foss & Larkin 1978"/><ref>Messer in Glock & Bellah (1976), p. 67</ref> Event-related expenses were covered by short-term credit based on the expectation that contributions would pour in following the free festival.<ref>Collier (1978), p. 166</ref> DLM's post-Millennium financial troubles forced it to close ashrams, sell its printing business and real estate, and to drop the lease on its IBM computer. Monthly donations fell from $100,000 to $70,000.<ref name="GuruFollDown">"Guru following down; tactics changing", UPI, ''Waterloo Courier'' 25 November 1976</ref> According to Messer, "to pay the debts remaining from the Houston event, devotees all over the country turned over their own possessions to Divine Sales, which had crash garage sales, attended flea markets, and invented numerous activities to dispose of the goods."<ref name="Messer, 1976">Messer, 1976</ref> By 1976 it was able to reduce the debt to $80,000.<ref>"Growing Pile of Unpaid Bills Beneath Guru's Spiritual Bliss", Deborah Frazier, UPI, 23 March 1975, Lincoln, Neb., Sunday Journal and Star</ref> Consequently, the festival necessitated policy shifts within the movement organization.<ref name="Pilarzyk 1978"/>