Nisha, Osho’s youngest sister

Nisha once told me that if Osho wouldn’t be out touring throughout India, he would certainly visit Gadarwara on two occasions – one, during Deepavali, and the other, for Rakhi. On Deepavali earthen lamps are lit and children set off fire crackers with loud noise and in various colours. She said, “Osho would join and encourage us to be fearless while shooting the fire crackers!”

On Rakhi day, sisters tie thread on their brothers’ wrist and in exchange, brothers give gifts to their sisters. Nisha said, “Usually on Rakhi day Osho would sit in his uncle’s fabric store and call all of us to tie the thread. Osho’s brother, Niklank, who is older than I, would stand behind Osho and hint at us not to tie the thread too strongly, because after this ceremony Osho would call Niklank to remove the threads. If they were tied more loosely, then it would be easier for him to remove them.”

On another occasion when Osho visited Gadarwara he asked her, “What are you studying?” She replied that she had taken admission in College for a BA first year. When Osho inquired to which college she had applied, Nisha answered, “Girls Collage.” Osho then told Nisha to go to a co-education college if she indeed had to study. Nisha told Dada-ji (her father) about it and her name was withdrawn from the Girls College and admission was sought in a co-education college.

When I asked Nisha what her experience in that college was, she told me that there were a total of seven girls including her in the entire college and only two in her class. “We both would sit near the gate so that when period was over we would rush out of the class, otherwise the boys would intentionally dash with us!”

In the second half of seventies, Osho’s ashram in Poona was at its climax in every respect. Thousands of sannyasins could be seen in their swaying saffron robes, hundreds were participating in various meditations and several therapy groups. Not only the ashram but the entire Koregaon Park area was flooded with divine energy. The most beautiful event in those days would be the ‘evening darshan’. After one had an appointment for a certain evening, one had to come to Lao Tzu gate well prepared – i.e. after taking a shower, wearing fresh under and outer garments, and one also had to undergo a strict sniffer test. Two female sannyasins would stand outside the Lao Tzu Gate opposite each other to check for any smell – especially the hair and the sides as it was well-known that Osho was allergic against smells of any kind. When any smell was detected, the person wouldn’t be allowed inside.

After these checks sannyasins would enter Lao Tzu gate and take a seat on the benches provided. During the short time of waiting a feeling of tremendous serenity and indescribable silence settled with a hush. Upon some kind of signal, a sannyasin would indicate for all to move slowly on the narrow stone path to Chuang Tzu Auditorium where Osho would appear shortly.

At the time were two kinds of darshan, one, speaking, the other, sitting silently. For the speaking darshan his/her name would be called softly and the person would go and sit in front of Osho. The master generally welcomed them with a chuckle and asked if the person wanted to say something? If yes, he would answer their questions.

For one such evening darshan, Nisha had asked to speak with Osho. Women in India mostly wear a sari for the lower part of the body and a blouse for the upper part. As it happened, it was ‘Rakhi day’ when sisters tie a thread around the right wrist of her brothers. Nisha succeeded to pass through all checks with a thread hidden under her blouse because nothing was allowed to be taken into the auditorium. When her name was called she went upfront and bowed down on the ground in front of Osho.

After sitting down she took out the hidden thread and wanted to wrap and tie it around Osho’s wrist. Laxmi asked her not to do it. The guard made frantic hand gestures not to do it. Meanwhile Osho smiled and asked them not to prevent her and reached out his arm and Nisha, though trembling out of love and reverence, contentedly tied the thread loosely around Osho’s wrist.

Then Osho asked, “What do you want?” Nisha hadn’t gone to take sannyas otherwise she would have been dressed in orange clothes but in that moment she said, “Sannyas.” Osho asked her to wait and to first let her family members (husband and his parents) be ready for it otherwise she would be in trouble. But Nisha said, “I want sannyas. There will be no trouble.”

At this, Osho looked at Laxmi who passed a mala on to Osho who put it around Nisha’s neck.

When Nisha related the evening’s event to Mata-ji, she gave her several orange-colored saris to wear…

Swami Ageh Bharti was born in 1934 in Bhurha, Uttar Pradesh, India. After a mysterious experience in 1966 that changed his life, he met Osho in 1967 in Jabalpur and lived from then on in close proximity to him; he was initiated into sannyas in 1971 and Osho declared him one of the enlightened ones in Rajneeshpuram. He is the author of 18 books about Osho in Hindi, and 2 in English. He lives in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, with his beloved wife, Ma Yoga Sambodhi.