The borderless nation that exists only in the minds of its followers

Countries & Cities · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Is it a sovereign Hindu state, a network of NGOs, or a clever land grab? Kailaasa is a micronation founded by a self-proclaimed godman. While it claims to issue passports and currency, its physical location remains a subject of intense debate between spiritual rhetoric and geopolitical reality.

Founded in December 2019 by the Indian spiritual leader Nithyananda (born Arunachalam Rajasekaran), Kailaasa—also known as the United States of Kailaasa (USK)—is presented as the world's only sovereign Hindu nation. Nithyananda, who began his public life in 2002 and claims to be an incarnation of Parashiva, describes the nation as a 'borderless service-oriented' entity for Hindus who feel dispossessed in their own countries.

The geography of Kailaasa is contradictory. While some representatives describe it as a non-territorial network of NGOs spanning three continents (similar in spirit to the Sovereign Order of Malta), news reports suggest Nithyananda purchased an island in Ecuador near Trinidad and Tobago for the purpose. Despite these claims, no government or intergovernmental organization recognizes Kailaasa's sovereignty.

The micronation has attempted to establish legitimacy through complex maneuvers. In 2020, it announced a 'Reserve Bank of Kailaasa' issuing gold currency inspired by ancient Hindu nations, and in 2021, it issued three-day visas for tourists traveling via a private flight service called Garuda. However, these efforts have often resulted in scandals, such as a mayor in Newark mistakenly signing a sister-city agreement with the non-existent state.

More recently, Kailaasa has been linked to aggressive land negotiations. In 2024, associates began arriving in Bolivia to negotiate 1,000-year leases for nearly 500,000 hectares of Amazon rainforest from Indigenous groups. These deals, totaling under US$200,000, were later flagged as illegal 'land trafficking' because the communal lands cannot be legally transferred, leading to the arrest and deportation of 20 associated individuals in March 2025.

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