Devraha Baba
Siddha Yogi saint known as the ageless Yogi.
Devraha Baba was a hermit who lived on a wooden platform near rivers in Uttar Pradesh and Vrindavan.[1] He was considered a spiritual guide to people of all backgrounds and received visits from politicians seeking blessings.[2]
Quick Facts
- Religion
- Hindu
- Temple
- Yogiraj Shri Devraha Baba Samadhi Sthal, Vrindavan
- Dharma name
- Sanatan
- Location
- India
- Successor
- Sri Purushottamacharyaji
- Devdasji (Bade Sarkar)
- Devraha Hans Baba
- Died
- 19 June 1990
- Place of death
- Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Little is known about Devraha Baba's early life beyond his arrival at Maiel, Uttar Pradesh, in the first half of the 20th century.[1] He began living atop a high wooden platform, or machan, on the banks of the Sarayu river near Chilma Bazar in Deoria District.[1] He later moved to Vrindavan, living on a similar platform on the banks of the Yamuna river.[1] He blessed devotees with his feet, including politicians such as Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Buta Singh.[2][3]
He was known for claims that he was over 150 years old, with some claims stating up to 700 years.[4] In the Deoria District, near a place called chilma Bazar, locals referred to him as Devraha Baba, using "Baba" as a term of respect for holy men or elders.[1] He resided on a 10-foot-high wooden platform, dressed in a small deerskin, and descended only for bathing.[5] Devotees could not see his nearly naked body because it was concealed by a barrier made of wooden planks.[5]
What the cited sources add
The lordrama.co.in account states that Devraha Baba was from the spiritual heritage of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya and lived beside the Yamuna river in Mathura.[3] The account notes that an Allahabad High Court Barrister stated seven generations of his family had sat at the feet of Devraha Baba.[3] It also states that Devraha Baba predicted the time of his death five years in advance.[3] The source claims he never asked devotees to write a book about him and that he blessed devotees of all religions.[3]
It further states that he took responsibility for leading the Shri Ram-Janmbhoomi movement to build a temple at Rama's birthplace.[3] The same source states that Dr. Rajendra Prashad, India's first president, personally confirmed that Devraha Baba was at least 150 years old.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Devraha Baba" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Personalities: Devraha Baba"; Cohen 2000, p. 284 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Devraha Baba" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jaffrelot, "Religion, caste, and politics in India", Primus Books, 2010, p. 240; "Devraha Baba's indictment enrages seers in Ayodhya", The Times of India, 2 December 2009; Cohen 2000, p. 284; Cohen 2000, p. 284; Dasgupta, "Beyond the Old Books – Modern India and the discourse of faith", The Telegraph (Calcutta), 11 December 2009; Kidwai, "Sonia, a biography", Penguin Books India, 2003, p. 131; Jaffrelot, "The Guru in South Asia: New Interdisciplinary Perspectives", Routledge, 2012, p. 83 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Dēvarahā Bābā", lordrama.co.in. facts only, no text reused. lordrama.co.in
- Wikipedia, "Devraha Baba" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dēvarahā Bābā", lordrama.co.in (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Devraha Baba" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Tully, "The Penguin Book of Indian Journeys", Penguin India, 2004, p. 101–105; Crossette, "India to Begin Voting; Today on Fate of the Nation and the House of Nehru", The New York Times, November 22, 1989 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Devraha Baba (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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