While authorities in India are on the lookout for rape-accused Nithyananda, who is absconding and hiding somewhere in South America, the self-styled godman on Saturday released his own ‘Reserve Bank of Kailasa,’ and his own currency called the ‘Kailashian Dollar.’ A release uploaded on the Kailasa website claims, “Kailasa has signed an MoU with a country for the hosting of its Reserve Bank. The Reserve Bank of Kailasa is a legitimately incorporated body. Kailasa’s currencies will be used only in countries with which Kailasa has signed diplomatic ties.”
Nithyananda has claimed that this was a ‘ritualistic’ release and a ‘functional release’ will be done soon. “Very soon it will become functional in the country that has agreed to host the Reserve Bank of Kailasa and with many countries, we are signing diplomatic treaties,” he claims in a video uploaded on YouTube.
Holding up models of the coins, Nithyananda says around 77 types of coins, all made out of gold, have been released. He released eight denominations of the ‘Kailashian Dollar.’
“One Kailashian dollar will be one tola gold, that is 11.66 grams of gold. A quarter Kailashian dollar will be a coin weighing 2.91 grams of gold. Half-Kailashian dollars will be 5.81 grams. Three-fourth dollar is 8.74 grams. Two Kailashian dollar coin will be 23.32 grams. The Three Kailashian dollar coin weighs 34.99 grams of gold and four Kailashian dollar is 46.65 grams gold. Five Kailashian dollar is a coin weighing 58.31 grams. Ten Kailashian dollar is a coin weighing 116 gms. These coins are inspired from the original ancient coins which were used in those days in the 56 Hindu nations,” Nithyananda says in the video, holding up models of each type of coin.
However, none of these coins can be used for any kind of international trade since Kailasa is not an internationally recognized country and neither is its bank. This currency, if and when officially launched, will only be used as a means to barter goods by those who sign up as ‘citizens’ of this so-called country.
Nithyananda also inaugurated the ‘emblem and official seal’ of Kailasa, which he says will be worn by members who are part of the ‘government of Kailasa.’ He says in the video that it is similar to the Papal Ring of the Vatican Church.
He had earlier claimed that a 300-page economic policy had been drafted and that it had been “legally and legitimately” established.
Nithyananda has been absconding since 2018 and is an accused in multiple cases in India, including a case of rape, charges of torturing his disciples and allegations of child abduction and abuse at his ashrams.
In February this year, a trial court in Karnataka had issued a fresh non-bailable warrant against the self-styled godman in the 2010 rape case. Nithyananda is believed to have fled the country in 2018 and a blue corner notice has also been issued against him.
He was recently in the news for forming his own nation called Kailasa, which he claims is “created by a group of dispossessed people who lost the right to practice Hinduism authentically in their own countries.”
Earlier this year, documents had shown that the rape-accused godman was believed to be running his business from a bank account in the Pacific island country called the Republic of Vanuatu. TNM had accessed an email sent by a confidante of Nithyananda to a person who sought details regarding payment for a puja asking disciples to deposit money in a bank account based out of Vanuatu.