The Prem Rawat Organisation was created in California in 2002 - costing over $500,000 to set up as an exclusively Internet based operation - promoting (it is claimed) the teachings of Prem Pal Singh Rawat - formerly know as Guru Maharaj Ji.
TPRF along with the associated Elan Vital organisation (previously known as Divine Light Mission) puts its resources primarily into selling products associated with Prem Rawat, garnering donations, and supporting Prem Rawat's International travel. This later costs in excess of $4.5million per year as Prem Rawat has to have the lease on his personal Gulfsteam V jet paid for, plus his hotel bills - he accepts nothing less than 'executive style' suits.
The president of TPRF is Linda Haldane Pascotto, a scion of the Carnation milk family which shared nearly a billion dollars when the business was sold to Nestle in the 1980s. Ms Pascotto is married to wealthy media lawyer Alvaro Pascotto, TPRF board members include Stephen Sordoni - another inheritor of great wealth, and Brad A. Griffin who has been employed on Prem Rawat's Amaroo Conference Centre development in Queensland, Australia.
Clearly TPRF looks to have an image problem and it has apparently been taking professional advice because beginning in 2003 it started a process of sending out promotional Press Releases showing how concerned for disadvantaged people TPRF really is. In August 2003 TPRF made a claim - published on hundreds of Internet 'news' sites, that it had donated a mere 4.5 tonnes (cost approx. $300) of rice to famine hit Ivory Coast. Then in November 2003 further fuss was made over a temporary eye clinic which was to operate at Prem Rawat's Raj Vidya Kender 'ashram' in Delhi - an event which just happened to fortuitously coincide with Rawat's public performances in India.
The Delhi eye clinic seemed to be the end to TPRF's largesse, that is until last week, when the commercial Press Release agency - PR Newswire (cost per news release minimum $300) sent out a TPRF communiqué telling the world how TPRF was generously providing an unstated number of 'battery-less' flash lights to hurricane ravaged Grenada. And that another eye clinic will run at Rjaj Vidya Kender - again fortuitously coinciding with Prem Rawat's upcoming 2004 speaking schedule in Delhi.
Prem Rawat used to be head of Divine Light Mission in India until he was ousted from that position by his older brother - Guru turned Uttarnchal politician Satpal Maharaj. Although these days Prem Rawat tries to promote his teaching as secular - hence the change of name in the US to Elan Vital - the subliminal messages about eyes and light in the product placement philanthropy of TPRF will no doubt not be lost on Prem Rawat's western followers. It is these westerners, who are the ones that matter most to Rawat - it is they after all who keep TPRF and Elan Vital supplied with the funds that allow Rawat to travel the world in the style to he has become accustomed.
TPRF's November Press Release:
The Prem Rawat Foundation Distributes Flashlights to Hurricane Victims in Grenada
309 Words
01 November 2004
20:56 GMT
PR Newswire (U.S.)
English
Copyright © 2004 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights Reserved.
GRENADA, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- When the eye of Hurricane Ivan hit the Island of Grenada head-on a few weeks ago, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. 90% of all buildings on the island were damaged. The Prime Minister's residence was among those totally destroyed.
The Prem Rawat Foundation is now distributing batteryless flashlights to families in need on the Island.
There are still large numbers of people living in shelters (schools, government buildings, etc.) across the island, and a curfew has been in effect to prevent looting. The last few weeks have been a very difficult time for everyone in Grenada.
The batteryless lights serve fill an urgent need for light in the rural areas that will not have electricity for months. They are being distributed to the neediest of households.
The island is 21 by 12 miles, with a population of 95,000. Not only was the tourist industry (#1 in income) hurt by damage to hotels, restaurants, boats, etc., but the #2 industry, nutmeg (Grenada is second in global production), was almost completely wiped out. New nutmeg trees take 5-7 years to produce fruit. It is estimated that it will take 15 years for the economy to get back to where it was before the hurricane.
TPRF is dedicated to promoting the message of peace of Prem Rawat, also known as Maharaji.
The Foundation also sponsors humanitarian projects. Next week, the Foundation will sponsor a free medical clinic in Northern India. Free eye consultations and glasses will be given to people most in need.
For further information please contact The Prem Rawat Foundation, +1-310-392-5700.
To discover more:
http://www.tprf.org/ Web site:
http://www.tprf.org/ ______________________________________________________________________
Also see
Rice for Ivory Coast
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=106887 Eye Clinic 2003
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=112073 Raj Vidya Kender
http://www.rajvidyakender.org/rvk-031002/index.html Satpal Maharaj
http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/26/stories/2004102610840100.htm 
