Kundalini Yoga Re-Discovered: Hindu Nationalist Efforts in Demystifying the Esoteric Nature of Kundalini

In 1975, Indian journalist Rustom Khurshedji Karanjia (1912–1998) presented the book The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius (1972) to Prime Minister Indira P. Gandhi (1917–1984). Co-authored by Indian yogi Gopi Krishna (1903–1984) and German physicist Carl Friedrich Freiherr von Weizsäcker (1912–2007), the book garnered significant attention in Europe, the United States, and India. Gandhi found the book fascinating and underscored the dearth of research on such a vital topic.

The subject in question was the Tantric energy notion "kundalini," a genuine South Asian concept that underwent significant transformation throughout the twentieth century. In India, interest in kundalini began to emerge substantially in the nineteenth century, with Hindu nationalists and Theosophists re-introducing and re-interpreting the Tantric concept. In 1967, Gopi Krishna published his autobiography, Kundalini. The Evolutionary Energy in Man, marking the onset of a new phase in the modern re-interpretation of kundalini. Krishna maintained that kundalini was a biological mechanism inherent in every human being, potentially capable of triggering the evolution of the brain. Moreover, he underscored the esoteric nature of kundalini, as conveyed within Hindu lore.

Krishna’s major contribution to the re-interpretation of kundalini was his urgent appeal for its scientific investigation to assess its potential benefits for individual and collective well-being. Gandhi and one of her ministers, Karan Singh (b. 1931), recognized Krishna’s advocating as a unique opportunity to strengthen India’s position in international research endeavors related to consciousness. Consequently, Singh launched government-funded research projects at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi, India) and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Bangalore, India), both of which focused on kundalini and were conducted under Gopi Krishna’s guidance.

Part of the government’s efforts was a sophisticated marketing strategy. As the government’s flagship, the Indian tabloid Blitz contributed to Gandhi’s agenda to promote kundalini as a symbol of Hindu nationalism. Between April 10 and May 3, 1976, Blitz featured a series of six cover stories revolving around the topic of kundalini. Under the heading “KUNDALINI YOGA: India’s Ancient ‘Serpent Power’ Re-discovered,” R. K. Karanjia, Blitz’s founder and owner-editor, expounded on kundalini’s ties with Indian culture and on the scientific interest in demonstrating kundalini empirically.

Founded in 1941, Blitz had developed into the voice of the establishment under Gandhi’s government, with Karanjia maintaining a strong relationship with Gandhi. Therefore, when Karanjia published his “Kundalini Yoga” series in 1976, Blitz was at the zenith of its success and enjoyed Gandhi’s full support. At the same time, the Gandhi administration could equally rely on his loyalty. The choice of Blitz as the national platform to announce the launch of India’s large-scale project of kundalini research was, therefore, by no means arbitrary.

Throughout his cover stories, Karanjia portrayed kundalini as a marginal or even forgotten esoteric concept confined to specific religious domains and isolated publications by Theosophists. At the same time, however, he underscored how global interest had substantially increased as a reaction to Krishna’s books. Global research endeavors to unravel kundalini’s hidden mechanism would clearly underpin the singular importance of conducting research in India–kundalini’s alleged homeland. Based on these assertions, Karanjia, along with Krishna, Singh, and Gandhi, aimed to revitalize kundalini as a fundamental component of Hindu nationalism. Additionally, the “Kundalini Yoga” series advocated for Krishna’s project of kundalini research and thereby significantly enhanced Krishna’s nationwide reputation.

This paper argues that the increasing fascination with kundalini on a global scale motivated Indian politicians and journalists to begin reclaiming what was now glorified as an emblem of Indian cultural heritage. Gopi Krishna, whose recognition as a “scientist-yogi” had substantially increased in India and abroad, played a pivotal role in India’s alleged “re-discovery” of kundalini. Consequently, Blitz, then India’s largest tabloid, portrayed Krishna as a national hero and his international collaborations as momentous deeds. The hype revolving around kundalini research peaked in India during the mid-1970s and gradually decayed after Gandhi’s electoral defeat in 1977 and ultimately with Krishna’s death in 1984. During this short period, Krishna’s theories on kundalini yoga enjoyed national recognition, stimulating research projects at Indian Medical Institutions. Karanjia’s cover stories promoted Krishna and his theories on kundalini in an unpreceded manner. This paper, therefore, aims to demonstrate how Krishna and Karanjia publicly elucidated the esoteric nature of kundalini, while simultaneously advocating for its demystification.