Ma Geeta Bharti

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(L to R:) Shashi, Geeta and Kranti

(Geeta Jain)

Geeta was born in 1952. Her father, Devaki Nandan ji, was the owner of Yogesh Bhavan, the house in Napier Town where Osho stayed for almost eight years when he lived in Jabalpur and was first gathering his sangha. Her sister Shashi married Sw Aklank Bharti, one of Osho’s brothers.

Geeta remembers that Osho used to take her and Shashi to watch movies. One movie which she remembers was titled Angulimaal, a 1960 Hindi movie about the serial killer whose name means finger garland, who encounters Gautam Buddha and is transformed. He also took them out for drives, to wild places like Pachmarhi, a hill station in Satpura National Park.

Sw Ageh Bharti recorded a stream-of-consciousness "interview" with her in 2009 and has kindly shared his translation, with some framing remarks:

OSHO GIVES ENERGY EVEN NOW
On 21st August 2009, I went to see Shri Devaki Nandan's youngest daughter Smt Geeta Jain, now the last member of that family who owned House No.115, Yogesh Bhavan, in NapierTown, Jabalpur, where Osho lived from 1959 until January 1968. She was born in 1952 and is one out of eight brothers and sisters. Her elder sister Shashi was married to Swami Aklank, Osho's third brother who passed away years back. Shashi died in Jan 2020.
Shashi and Aklank fell in love with each other but this was not appreciated by Devaki Nandan. And we know well that Osho is all for love. In fact, he is against marriage itself but as long as society is not sensible enough, at least marriage ought to be solemnised only after love, not vice-versa. When Osho learnt of this difference of opinion, he asked us to look for another house because he did not like to live in a house whose owner has difference of opinion. And then Osho shifted to an independent house in Kamla Nehru Nagar.
I found that it was a great pleasure to listen to Geeta ji about Osho. No sooner she starts to talk about Osho, she can easily be seen to have transported to a different space. She just flows like the flooded river Ganges. I may add here that when I came in contact with Osho for the first time by meeting one to one on 10th February 1967, I was sitting with Osho on the same wooden cot on which he sat and a girl was sitting on a sofa at a distance. That girl was this Geeta.
So, Geeta flows:
Osho loved me very much. He taught me all. I used to arrange his books in proper order. It is he who taught all this. It was in his mind from the very beginning to create some town like Rajneeshpuram. In Yogesh Bhavan, that beautiful garden was osho's creation with the help of the gardener. He got a very good Gardener. Osho used to tell lot of jokes at which we both sisters used to roll on the floor laughing. He used to tell us to live the life laughingly, not seriously.
We both, Shashi and me, used to come from school by 4 to 4.30 p.m. Osho used to walk from 5 to 6 pm. Six to seven he used to take bath.
Osho wanted a swimming pool to be created by the side as there was enough space. But my mother was afraid because of us that someone might be drowned. Then he suggested a hall to be constructed which was done. And it became a nice place to accommodate his lot of books and to meet people who came to see him. Previously on every Sunday he was giving talks in the hall only. When the number of people increased then it started to happen in Shaheed Smarak Bhavan. In first month rent was taken from him. But then my father, not knowing why, hesitated to take rent from him. So he never took rent afterwards.
Once the king of Bastar Shri Bhanjdev, had taken time from Osho. He was to come to see him. Osho had told us that we also could see how a king is and he will come on a horse. That day I had taken leave from school to see the king. And thus I had seen the king. I was sitting silently when the king was talking to Osho. Later I told Osho that the king came by a car while you had told that he will come by horse. He said, Yes, the king of Bastar generally rides on horse.
We used to go to school with heavy heart. Several times we used to run away from school. Then Osho would ask, "Does your school close early? Others come by at five o clock?" He used to make us laugh so frequently.
We both learnt from him how to light up a stove. we learnt to cook in his kitchen and we cooked there often. He used to decide the menu as to what was to be cooked. We both sisters used to quarrel sometimes.
Once Kranti and we both sisters accompanied him by his car to Chhindwada [a district about 221 Kms from Jabalpur]. We had stayed in the guest house. Osho took so much care that words can't express. [Her eyes became wet.]
When Osho went out, we felt very bad. We wept while giving him a send off. Osho gives energy even today otherwise how could I bear such big blows! It was very hard to bear. A son aged 25 died in an accident. Husband is lying in bed paralysed for 15 years. It could have been too hard to bear.
Osho's previous life mother Madan Kunwar Parekh of Chandrapur had sent the Akai Tape Recorder for Osho. The first car was also gifted by the same Ma. Osho learnt driving here only. We both roamed a lot with him in his car. He would say that those who are ready to risk their lives, should come with me but we enjoyed going with him. Mostly I did outing with him only. I was always worried that no opportunity should be missed. I didn't feel interest in education. Sometimes I used to run away from the College secretly to Kamla Nehru Nagar to be near Osho. Then while returning, he used to drop me to my place. But somehow i did my Bsc and then M.A. too.
We were four brothers and four sisters. In those days we were not that free to go to him whenever we wished. There were lot of restrictions. When Osho lived in Mumbai, I had been to Indore with my son. From there I went to Mumbai to see him. Each moment with him was not less than an event.
Sadhana Path, Kranti Beej were the earlier books. Arvind Bhaiyya did a lot of work. He used to transcribe the discourses from tape recorder.
When we had to go to Cinema, Osho used to drop us to cinema house. When we returned, he would listen to the story from us. Rare were white hairs on him. He would get them picked by us. He would say, "Keep them safe. It will be of use." We both liked to be near him. Even if he used to sit silently or reading, even then to sit near him was a bliss. Others are born kings but he became an Emperor and lived like an Emperor.
When at the time of renowned film music Director Kalyan ji Anand ji orchestra program was disturbed due to over-crowding and all the artists and Osho and me too were rescued in the hall behind the stage, Osho looked at me and said, "She is my chief guest" and the whole Orchestra party of more than a dozen artists started to look at me. [Ageh Bharti, then Shiv, was there too.] Osho too stood by the side. Naturally I was in the middle. Thus he made me the centre, the queen, amongst all the celebrities standing there. [Also, I enjoyed to see the photo of that time. People are standing in two rows. Osho too is standing with them. Geeta is standing in the middle.] When Osho too stood by the side of those celebrity artists, all of them started looking at me. For some time I became the centre amongst those big celebrities. Blessings of Osho!
In 1961 or 1962, I can't remember exactly, but it was around China War**, Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Prime Minister had invited Osho. Osho had gone to see him.
It was a surprise for us to see that VVIP people used to take time to see him. The most highly prestigious person of Jabalpur Seth Govind das was in very suicidal state when his son had died at 42 years age. He could recover from that state only by seeing Osho several times.
I have presented in the same order as she told. She was flowing in such a way that I had no mind to ask any question with her. I too got flooded with her flow.

** = That India-China war was Oct-Nov 1962, fwiw.


See also
Ma Shashi Bharti