The path to nirvana

A Nepali girl stands beside a sign for Heavenly Path, a religious movement founded by Bhakta Kumar Rai, now known as Supreme Master Godangel (SMG).

The symbol above the English words is a question mark that stands for the fundamental questions of existence. Followers of the Heavenly Path believe SMG to be a messenger of God sent to teach people how to remove pain and suffering from their lives and the lives of others. They say peace is a tree with love as its root.

On 20-21 May 2011, SMG reportedly spent 27 hours meditating for world peace on the summit of Mt. Everest. His followers say the 30-year-old guru spent a total of 32 hours at the summit, using oxygen for only 11 hours. This would break the previous summit endurance record, set by a Nepali climber, of 21 hours and 30 minutes.