1980s

In the beginning of the 1980's probably the best description of the state of Divine Light Mission was hysterical. Prem Rawat had decreed that Darshan was the most important part of his "Knowledge" and his dancing was the most celebrated part of the numerous "festivals" that DLM were holding. While new premies were few, the effort to attract them was great and nightly services were still held wherever a premie quorum could gather.

Only Prem Rawat might have had an inkling that the Iron Curtain was about to descend but until Sun Myung Moon was indicted and jailed even he probably hadn't given it a thought. But once Prem Rawat closed Divine Light Mission, ordered his followers to stop advertising or telling anyone about him and his "Knowledge", having nightly public meetings or any regular meetings and to destroy all copies of newspapers, magazines, films and videos relating to him and changed his title to Maharaji from Guru Maharaj Ji, the press stories soon dried up.