We have seen or read about several people who take to the path of spirituality and distance themselves from the materialistic world. In the latest such story, a 41-year-old Japanese man, Hoshi Takayuki, found his spiritual calling in Uttarakhand. The businessman-turned-monk left behind a thriving empire in Tokyo to embrace Hinduism and became a devotee of Lord Shiva.
Now known by his spiritual name Bala Kumbha Gurumuni, Takayuki was recently seen walking barefoot wearing a saffron robe, during the Kanwar Yatra in Uttarakhand. This July, Takayuki returned to India with 20 of his Japanese disciples to participate in a pilgrimage, Kanwar Yatra, where devotees collect water from the Ganga river and offer it to Lord Shiva during the month of Saawan. He also hosted a two-day food camp in Dehradun to serve free meals to fellow kanwariyas.
Who is Hoshi Takayuki and how did a dream change everything?
Takayuki’s spiritual journey began two decades ago during a visit to Tamil Nadu, where he underwent Nadi astrology, an ancient practice that claims to uncover a person’s past and future through palm-leaf manuscripts. According to reports, he was then told about his past life. Takayuki was apparently told that he lived as a spiritual seeker in the Himalayas in his past life and was destined to return to Hinduism.
Following this revelation, he reportedly had a vivid dream about his past life in Uttarakhand. After this, Takayuki gradually withdrew from his business, which once included a chain of 15 beauty product stores. He handed over his business and fully immersed himself in spiritual life.
‘Searching for my village’
“I feel deeply attached to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. I believe I spent my past life here and am still searching for my village in the hills,” Takayuki told Times of India.
He has since converted his Tokyo home into a Shiva temple and recently built another shrine dedicated to the deity.
The TOI report further stated that Takayuki has already purchased 35 acres of land in Puducherry to build a Shiva temple. He is also reportedly planning to establish an ashram in Uttarakhand soon.