Traveling With Irrationalism in India

India has long been a home to godmen perpetuating superstitions and irrationalism. But a recent surge of technology and Hindu nationalism has ensured they reach unprecedented heights.

India currently has around  900 million users on the internet. Even some of the remotest villages have smartphones. It has ensured that godmen, which were earlier limited to their district, have become nationwide phenomenons and are more powerful than ever. A charlatan from Madhya Pradesh is dictating the morning routine of a woman in rural Maharashtra.

At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has entered his third term and India has never been more Hindu nationalist than ever before, ensuring their superstitions often go unchecked.

This reporting project covers of different types of godmen—big and small—promoting superstition to people. A series of stories will focus on how people were duped in Maharashtra, one of the few states with an anti-superstition law.