Jaya Kishori was adjudged as the “Best Creator for Social Change” at the National Creators Award in New Delhi.
Credit: Instagram/@iamjayakishori
Spiritual preacher Jaya Kishori has come under fire after a video of her purportedly carrying a luxury Dior bag worth over Rs 2 lakh went viral on social media.
The preacher is being heavily criticised by netizens for using "materialistic" luxury items when she herself preaches non-materialism and detachment from worldly possessions.
Some users on the internet have also alleged that the bag is made of calf skin, an allegation that Kishori completely denied while talking to ANI.
What is the controversy?
A user shared a video of Kishori at the airport, carrying her luggage, on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "Spiritual preacher Jiya Kishori deleted her video where she was carrying a Dior bag worth ₹210000 only. btw she preach Non-Materialism & call herself as Devotee of Lord Krishna. One more thing : Dior makes bag by using Calf Leather (sic)."
This video triggered a debate on spiritual orators being "hypocrites".
One of the users wrote, "That's why we need to check our speakers and choose only genuine ones. If one doesn't follow what she preach then she's not right speaker."
"She teaches you non-materialism. So that you guys can follow and she can extract materialism out of that," said another.
Jaya Kishori's clarification
Responding to the controversy, Kishori told news agency ANI that the bag in question is a customised one, has her name on it and has no leather in it.
"I have never used leather, nor will I ever use it," she said.
She also said that during her religious events she has never asked people "not to earn money or renounce everything."
The 27-year-old said, "Those who have come to my 'katha' know very well that I never say that everything is 'moh maya', don't earn money or renounce everything. I have not renounced anything, so how can I tell you to do so?"
"...if I like something and I can buy that then I buy it," she said.
"I am clear from day one that I am not a saint, sadhu or sadhvi. I am a normal girl, I live in a normal house, I live with my family... I tell the same thing to the youth that you should work hard, earn money, give yourself a good life, give your family a good life and fulfill your dreams," Kishori added.
Kishori has been reciting Narayan Katha and Shiv Mahapuran since a very young age. The speaker speaker has gained a significant following over the years and is also a known motivational speaker and singer.