Lebanese disciple named Mahesh Yogi's successor

Tony Abu Ali Dan Nadar, a Lebanese disciple of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, has been named successor to the spiritual 'guru', who died at the age of 91 at his Transcendental Meditation headquarters in Netherlands last week.

Nadar, renamed Maharaja Dhiraaj Raja Ram, was presented before the local media in Allahabad on Sunday evening.

A 48-member council of administrators, nominated earlier by the Maharishi himself, elevated Ram to the highest chair of the Maharishi Global Country of World Peace.

These included the 35 'rajas' and 13 ministers named by the Maharishi to oversee the functioning of his organization, spread across 130 nations. All of them have been followers of Maharishi since three to four decades.

'Rajas' are 'in charge' of different countries and are easily discernable because of their distinct regalia, which included white brocade 'sherwani', golden medallion and a golden crown.