A fresh controversy has erupted around Bageshwar Dham Peethadhishwar and popular religious storyteller Dhirendra Krishna Shastri after a man from Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi said that a written prediction made during a ‘Divya Darbar’ indicated that he would have a son, but his fourth child turned out to be a daughter.
The man, named Rajendra Kumar, has since approached the Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, or All India Anti-Superstition Committee, and is now preparing to file a police complaint, he said.
According to Rajendra Kumar's testimony, he first visited Bageshwar Dham in March 2024. In May that year, he was called by name and given a written slip associated with his case at a ‘Darbar’. Kumar claims it was about alleged spiritual problems of his wife and specified that some religious practices and repeated visits to the Dham were necessary.
He also states that the note stated that ‘Putra Yog’ (the possibility of having a son) would develop after the prescribed religious practices are carried out. Kumar’s testimony has been reported in several media and not independently verified.
Kumar already had three daughters at the time and stated he had not originally planned to have another child. The reference to ‘Putra Yog’ influenced the couple’s decision to plan another pregnancy after several years of planning, said Kumar. According to media reports, they were going to have another child in 2025. On June 11, 2026, Kumar's wife gave birth to their fourth child, who was a girl. Kumar was later critical of the prediction, and he wanted to know what he thought was a false claim.
Kumar's situation worsened in September when he returned to Bageshwar Dham with his newborn daughter, according to his claim, and he wanted to question Dhirendra Krishna Shastri about the statement in the earlier slip. So, some reports say that he was asked questions regarding whether the child was a boy or a girl and pointed out that the prediction had not materialised.
He also claimed that there was an argument and that he was removed from the premises. But these have not been independently verified, and no official statement from Bageshwar Dham management or Dhirendra Krishna Shastri regarding this specific incident has been provided in the reports reviewed.
Kumar also contended that he suffered financial and emotional distress because of the advice he says he received. He spent money on visits and religious rituals involved in the process. The claim is that he spent more than ₹25,000 but hasn’t been independently verified. Kumar’s complaint is not directed at his newborn daughter, he says; he wants to question the prediction and the general claims about the practice.
Kumar contacted the Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti after the controversy. The national general secretary of the organisation, Harish Deshmukh, has gathered information on the case and advised Kumar about the next step. Kumar plans to approach the police in Jhansi with a formal complaint. As of the latest reports reviewed, there was no confirmed information that a First Information Report had been registered against Dhirendra Krishna Shastri in connection with this particular allegation.
The anti-superstition organisation has also launched a public challenge on magical or supernatural abilities. It is said that the committee has offered ₹1 crore if such claims or miracles can be proven by scientific means. Realistic and scientific verification of extraordinary claims should be done, according to the organisation.
Dhirendra Krishna Shastri is the head of Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh and is widely known for his religious discourse and ‘Divya Darbar’ format. The official Bageshwar Dham website says Shastri was born on July 4, 1996, in Garha village of Chhatarpur district and is a successor of Bageshwar Dham.
His ‘parchi’ or written-slip technique has attracted widespread public interest; its proponents see the practice as a manifestation of spiritual insight. Sceptics and anti-superstition activists have always questioned whether such claims can be scientifically proven. What brings us back to that debate is the latest one.
For now, Rajendra Kumar's allegations are still allegations, and there has been no court finding that Dhirendra Krishna Shastri committed fraud in this matter. The next significant change is likely to depend on whether a formal police complaint is registered and how serious the claims and documents that are provided by Kumar are.
