Royal guru says Nepal's king 'worried' after accident

A religious adviser to Nepal's King Gyanendra has revealed that the already embattled monarch has been struck by yet more misfortune.

Not only is the king facing the rapid rise of ultra-republican Maoists who want to sack him, he has also been hit by a terrible omen: a 20-metre (66-foot) pole falling off a wooden chariot.

It may sound trivial to some, but Madhab Bhattarai -- a Hindu priest, guru and close aide to the king since 2002 -- said the tumbling pole was being taken very seriously behind the walls of the royal palace.

"I can guarantee you this is not a good sign for the country," said Bhattarai, who is known as a Naayab Bada Guruju, or Great Teacher.

The incident, which left eight people injured, occurred on Sunday during Seto Machhindranath, one of the dozens of annual Hindu festivals widely observed in Nepal.

"This is a bad omen for those who run the nation. It signals that there will be some kind of big accident.

"I have suggested to the palace to perform certain special rituals as they are a bit worried," he said of the king and his tight-knit aides.

"We can't prove it scientifically, but people have a strong belief that something bad will happen," Bhattarai told AFP in an interview that provided a rare insight into the mind of the deeply superstitious and reclusive king.

The "bad thing" appears to be just around the corner.

The count from last week's landmark elections on Nepal's political future is ongoing, but so far former Maoist rebels are on track for a surprise victory.

The Maoists waged a deadly insurgency for a decade to abolish the monarchy, and have vowed to do so as soon as the final results are announced and a new 601-seat constitutional assembly is formed.

"He must be worried deep inside," the guru said of Gyanendra.

King Gyanendra is considered by followers to be a reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, but he comes from a family beset by catastrophe and misfortune.

He ascended the throne in 2001 when his brother and predecessor, King Birendra, was shot dead at a party along with eight other family members by a drunk and lovelorn crown prince, who in turn killed himself.

In 2005 he seized absolute power to fight the Maoists, only to fuel a wave of republican sentiment and a historic 2006 peace deal that led to the polls.

Last year his son and heir, Crown Prince Paras, was rushed to hospital after suffering a massive heart attack. The 36-year-old prince survived, but was told to end his playboy lifestyle.

Gyanendra has also been stripped of all his powers, including his role as head of state and army commander in the wake of the peace deal.

Last week the Maoists told him to either adapt to life as a "common citizen" in one of the world's poorest countries, or face trial and "strong punishment."

The royal guru said he was now deeply worried for the future of Nepal and the Hindu faith, practised by 80 percent of the country's people.

Nepal is home to several important Hindu pilgrimage sites, and the Himalayas that form the country's border with Chinese-controlled Tibet are believed to be the abodes of dozens of Hindu gods and goddesses.

"There is only one Hindu king in the world and he is an important symbol as the protector of Hindu religion," said Bhattarai, who was speaking at his modest Kathmandu office.

"There is a belief that many gods and goddesses live in the physical body of the king. If the king is no longer there, the Hindu religion could be threatened," he warned.

And the king must share some of the blame, his spiritual advisor admitted.

"Earlier kings used to take care of old temples and construct new ones, but the present king didn't give much importance to such things," said Bhattarai.

"His weakness was that he didn't do enough for Hinduism and he was too involved in politics."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080416/wl_sthasia_afp/nepalvoteroyalsreligion_080416051703