What Ever Happened to Atsimba, Abe, and Lesley? Three Devotees Who Tragically Died — What are their Real Stories?

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Photo: A cliff on the California coast, similar to the one on which a JKP devotee jumped to her death.

By Karen Jonson (Rishika)

Originally Published: 20 November 2012

Updated and Republished: 24 November 2024

Note from blog post author, Karen Jonson (Rishika): This blog post is one of the 10 blog posts on Rishikaxcult.com, written by me, Karen Jonson (Rishika) that Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat tried to remove from the internet by devious means. Why don’t they want you to know this information?

Why is Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Trying to Hide These Three Devotees’ Deaths?

There are so many upsetting, tragic, and sad stories about Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat — stories of young girls being raped, of people abandoning their families to serve the fake gurus, about the leaders of JKP using youth until they are abused, and of people giving up their life savings to this insatiable and corrupt organization.

Among the onslaught of stories about human exploitation, some of the tragic stories have been lost and forgotten. But they need to be told, because at least three people that I know of (likely many more) suffered permanently at the hands of this dangerous organization. 

These are the stories of three people who attempted to or succeeded at committing suicide while living as a devotee inside Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP). 

• Atsimba, a married woman, who jumped off a cliff after she suffered from guilt over having sex with Kripalu.
• Gabe, a young and vibrant man who gave his life savings to JKP only to find out that the gurus were completely corrupt and child abusers. 
• Leslie, a hardcore devotee of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, who went to India to study to become a preacher, and got raped and kicked out. 

These stories are difficult to tell, because they make you realize how different these three people’s lives could have been if they had never gotten involved with Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. 

But they are important stories to share because they demonstrate yet another side to this cold-hearted, greedy, self-serving factory of corruption. Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat exists only to lure innocent people into its clutches, chew them up, take everything they’ve got, and then spit them out to suffer alone or even to die.

Atsimba — The Woman Who Loved the Guru Too Much

At one point in time, the Western preacher known as Nikhileshwari Devi was studying Spanish. She planned to take trips to Mexico to try and recruit followers for Swami Prakashanand Saraswati. 

She began by giving talks in Spanish in southern California. During this time, she met a Hispanic woman named Atsimba. Atsimba threw herself into the life of being a hardcore devotee to the gurus. Soon, she was accompanying Nikhileshwari on her trips to Mexico. 

Atsimba was married to a western man and had no children. At one point, she brought her mother and her friends to meet Prakashanand. Her husband met him but was slow to get on board with the organization. However, he eventually did.

Also, she frequently visited Radha Madhav Dham (formerly Barsana Dham), leaving her husband home in California. While she was in Radha Madhav Dham, she spent most of her time with Nikhileshwari.

Once Prakashanand started taking western devotees to India to meet Kripalu, Atsimba was one of people who went on many of the trips.

“I could tell she was ‘in love’ with Kripalu after seeing a video in which she was dancing for him in a very flirty way.” 

Rishika

When she started visiting the ashram, Atsimba was a healthy woman who could be described as a little plump. But suddenly she began to lose weight and eventually became extremely thin. One day Prakashanand asked her about her diet. She told she ate mostly beans. He jokingly said, “I’m going on the same diet.”

During one of her many trips to the ashram, Atsimba was very, very upset. She seemed to be “wrapped too tight,” a saying that means someone is struggling mentally. 

One day, I was speaking with Nikhileshwari in her bedroom and someone knocked on the door. It was Atsimba. Her eyes were wide, and she could not focus. She was very upset and seemed ready to jump out of her skin.

“I have to speak with you,” she blurted to Nikhileshwari.

Nikhileshwari turned to me and commanded: “Karen, please go. We’ll talk later.” She ushered me out of the room and closed the door.

I recalled this incident the day another preacher, Prabhakari, gathered the ashram devotees together in Prakashanand’s sitting room for an “important announcement.” She told us some convoluted story about how Atsimba had been a troubled woman since childhood, because she was a victim of child sex abuse.

Then she told us that Atsimba had died near the ocean byher home in California. 

‘Prabhakari said, ‘Swamiji told me to tell you she ‘fell off of a cliff.’
“Immediately, I didn’t believe the story. I believed that Atsimba had jumped off that cliff,
killing herself on purpose out of extreme guilt for having sex with Kripalu as a married woman.”

Rishika

After I learned the truth about the rapes and corruption in Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, and after I came out of my cult-induced, reality-distortion fog, I saw the reality.

Atsimba had been having sex with Kripalu every time she visited India. She had lost so much weight because all the women involved with Kripalu knew that he prefers skinny girls. 

She lost weight to please him and to continue to be invited into his bedroom. He may have even called her fat at some point, as this was a common thing he would do. 

Since Atsimba had a good heart, I think she began to feel extreme guilt about “cheating” on her husband with Kripalu. And probably Kripalu got all the money he could out of her and no longer wanted to have sex with her. 

Nikhileshwari was in charge of keeping her calm and trying to further brainwash her to believe that she it not cheating on her husband because Kripalu was “not a worldly man.” Instead, she was being “graced” by her “divine husband,” who was actually Krishna appearing on earth. That’s what they tell everyone. 

Shortly after her death, Prakashanand convinced her husband to move to the U.S. ashram. In his grief, he agreed. Then he became a hardcore devotee, too. But I don’t think he knew the truth about his wife and Kripalu. 

It was all part of the clever plot of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat to mitigate any future issues involving wife’s death. If her husband ever learned the truth — and believed it — who knows what he would do.

Abe — A Great Man Who Placed His Faith in Two Fake Gurus (In Loving Memory)

Photo: Abe Donovan (in striped shirt) and Fionn O’Grada. Abe is believed to have killed himself after learning about Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s conviction for child sex abuse and after becoming penniless because he gave all his money to Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat.

(Note: This story was written by Fionn O’Grada, an ex-devotee of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat — and a long-time friend of Abe’s. It is published here with the approval of Abe’s family members.)

Abraham Donovan (“Abe”) has been missing since April 18, 2011. Many of us will remember Abe as a kind-natured Irish man who loved music and unfortunately put too much faith in the “gurus” of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat.

Abe had been a faithful devotee of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat for over 20 years. He was the kindest, most sincere spiritual seeker you could ever meet. Abe was not feeling well (mentally) in April 2011, right after Prakashanand’s criminal trial. 

Suddenly, he disappeared and no one, including his family, knows what happened to him. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that he took his own life.

Abe’s family and friends believe that the harm caused by his long association with Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat adversely impacted his judgment and ability to make sensible decisions, which affected his own self-interest and safety. 

“Like so many others, Abe’s trusting nature was exploited. JKP fleeced him of all his financial resources. When he disappeared in April 2011, he was virtually penniless and in debt to Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, who continued to make utterly irresponsible financial demands of him.”

Fionn O’Grada, Abe’s friend

It is a tragic and senseless loss. Abe was a highly accomplished classical guitarist. He taught the guitar in many institutions, such as Walton’s School of Music in Dublin. In recent years, he taught guitar in The King’s Hospital School in Dublin. 

Due to his exceptional skill, wonderful sense of humour, and unique patience, Abe endeared himself to his many of his students. Abe devised his own method to teach the guitar. He was friends with many musicians and was a member of the short-lived Guitar Orchestra of Dublin in the 1980s.

His own recitals were a joy to attend due to his musicianship, communication skills, and warmth. 

Abe admired all great guitarists. He attended concerts by players, such as John Williams and Segovia. 

Treasured memories of Abe include going with him to two Cooney and Begley concerts in the Harcourt Hotel in Dublin. Abe introduced me to the virtuoso guitar playing of Steve Cooney, which enthralled him, and he was also a great fan of Rory Gallagher.

Abe was 50 in 2011. From his 20s, Abe was a committed vegetarian. He made the first of many trips to Barsana Dham in the USA in 1996. From 2004 onwards he made several trips to Mangarh, India, the main ashram of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. 

“On his last trip to Mangarh in late 2010, instead of giving him practical advice to get his life sorted, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat continued to take his money, all while subjecting him to intense ‘love-bombing.'”

Fionn O’Grada, abe’s friend

In Dublin, shortly before he disappeared he told his brother-in-law, Glen that he was greatly upset after visiting to a cyber cafe. In tears, he told Glen that he had discovered on the internet that a female devotee, who had been a friend of his, had taken her own life (note: I am not sure who the female is). 

In March 2011, shortly before he vanished, Abe had become aware of the criminal conviction of Prakashanand. He made a few comments to a couple of people that indicated his confused state-of-mind.

Abe’s family regrets deeply that he ever came under the influence of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. However, his family knows that their dear Abe was a sincere lover of God who never harmed anyone. 

They are grateful for all the expressions of solidarity and sympathy following his disappearance. They will continue to draw attention to his status as a missing person. They are planning to organise a gathering of family and friends at a future date.

Abe has been officially registered with the Irish Police as a missing person. His family and the Irish Police continue to appeal to anyone who might have information on his whereabouts. If you know anything, you can call the Store Street Police Station in Dublin at 353-1-16668000 or send an e-mail to missing_persons@garda.ie.

Lesley — A Woman Who Wanted to Be a Preacher

Photo: A rare photo of the woman believed to be Lesley, who attempted suicide after being sexually abused by Prakashanand and others in India while studying to be a preacher.

When I joined Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat in 1991 in the U.S. (called the International Society for Divine Love at that time), I heard hushed stories about a girl named Lesley who had become a quadriplegic after leaving Swami Prakashanand Saraswati. 

Like a few other young Western women who were among his small group of followers at that time, at his request she had been training to become a preacher for the organization. Part of the training included taking a trip to India to study in one of the ashrams of Shri Kripalu Maharaj. 

Two other young western women were on that same trip, including Sammy who later was named Priya Dasi and was renamed Prabhakari Devi. The third woman was called Joanne. She was given the name Hari Dasi and renamed Nikhileshwari Devi.

At first, I only heard that she had been crippled in a tragic skiing accident after leaving Prakashanand sometime after that trip to India and became a quadriplegic.

Devotees who spoke of her used it as a cautionary tale — as in, “you won’t be protected out in the world if you leave Swamiji.” It put fear in several devotees’ hearts, because they believed that Lesley’s “spiritual transgressions” in India led to her tragic accident.

Much later, I learned more details. The rumor was that Lesley become promiscuous and started having sex with several young Indian men. 

Prakashanand did not like this. He called her father and told him to send money for a ticket to fly her back home. When she returned, she began indulging in the material world. That’s when she had the horrible accident. 

“Later, after I left Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, I learned the truth. While in India studying to be a preacher, two men lured Lesley into their beds. They were Prakashanand and the father of one of Kripalu’s preachers.”

Rishika

Lesley was so upset by the abusive sexual experiences that she became anxious and despondent. That’s when Prakashanand called her father and set her home, effectively washing his hands of her. 

(Note: This was the same trip where Prabhakari Devi was lured into Kripalu’s bed and came out of the experienced in shock. She searched her soul to decide whether she should stay or leave. She decided to stay. Her action resulted in the proverbial “selling her soul to the devil.”)

Lesley’s depression continued when she returned home. It got so bad that she attempted to kill herself, not on a ski slope, but by driving into a brick wall. But she did not die. Instead, she became a quadriplegic, losing the use of her arms and legs.

The last time anyone saw Lesley was when she showed up in a wheelchair at a lecture that Prabhakari Devi was giving near her home in Central California. Prabhakari Devi barely acknowledged Lesley’s presence.

If anyone knows how to contact Lesley, please let me know.

Learn More About this Heartless Organization

Learn more about the truth of my two ex-gurus, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu and Swami Prakashanand Saraswati — partners in crime for over 60 years — in my book Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus. It’s available around the world and in India.

In India: Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus

Everywhere else: Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus

Tell Your Story Anonymously — and Set Yourself Free

Do you want to tell your story and help people steer clear of this abusive organization? Please reach out to me. I will keep your name in complete confidence. 

Copyright © 2012-2024 Karen Jonson/RishikaXcult. All rights reserved. No part of this blog post may be copied or duplicated without the express permission of the author.