Pray, love but no eat

For a man who is flanked by foreign media crews most of the time, Prahlad Jani is remarkably untouched by the trappings of fame. But then what would you expect from an 82-year-old fakir who has defied science and logic to survive without either food or water?
This summer, the latest documentary on Jani made waves at the Cannes film festival. 'In the Beginning There was Light', by Peter Straubinger, documented a phenomenon that has its roots in the Indian yogic philosophy that prana, meditation and cosmic energies can actually drive life.And that the mind triumphs over matter. This remarkable film is premiering this week in Vienna before it opens in cinemas across Europe.
But the man at the centre of the limelight himself yearns to be left alone to meditate and pray. Not for him the fawning disciples or the aura of other-worldliness. "I mop the floor myself and wash my own clothes. I do not like my devotees doing my work. In fact, I like to be alone, meditating, " says Jani, who remains stoic about the fuss around him. Buzzing around him is a Japanese crew trying to shoot him from various angles and, of course, a gaggle of devotees eager to touch his feet.
Jani, popularly known as Mataji, has captured the imagination of followers, scientists, medical professionals and the world media. With a stomach devoid of anything, Jani does not even need to excrete or urinate. Interestingly, Mataji's claim has been attested by the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Science (DIPAS). The agency recently conducted a 15-day long extensive in-camera investigation into his daily routine and declared on its website that Jani has an extreme ability to deal with starvation and water deprivation.
The DIPAS response to this biological miracle is that levels of the serum leptin and ghrelin, both appetite-related hormones, in Jani's body are extraordinary and may even indicate an "enjoyment" of starvation. Cell biology studies have shown that his peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibit great tolerance to stress.
"During the observation period, Prahlad Jani has not consumed anything and has not passed stool. The only contact he had with any form of fluid was while gargling and bathing periodically during the study, beginning the fifth day of the study. Jani has also not passed urine from his body during the observation period, " said the DIPAS update.
Unmindful of the discussions raging around him, Jani, meanwhile, spends most of his time inside a small cave in Gabbar Hills in the pilgrim town of Ambaji. He wears a simple red robe with an elaborate nose ring and bangles, dressed very much like the image of the goddess he worships.
In the stories of his early life, reality merges seamlessly with myth. His aloofness, it is said, goes back to the days of solitude spent in jungles. According to believers, he was all of 12 when he began turning clairvoyant. He was working for a Pune businessman and often assisted his employer in offering prayers to Shrinathji. This, says Jani, is when he first 'saw' the goddess. He is known to have slipped into a coma for a couple of days soon after.
There is a tale attached to his extreme austerity too. He was, he says, once approached by three women incarnates of the goddess and taken to the deity. Who would take care of my meals, he asked the goddess and she, in reply, touched his tongue with her finger. This put an end, once and for all, to all feelings of thirst or hunger in him.
The first 10-day long medical documentation of Mataji's condition took place in 2003 when he was kept at the Sterling Hospital in Ahmedabad under 24-hour camera surveillance. His medical parameters were studied by a team of doctors led by renowned neurophysician Dr Sudhir Shah. At the end of the period, it was established that Mataji indeed lives without consuming any water and passing any urine. This first test generated enough interest for the defence forces to carry out a joint investigation.
"Medically, it is not possible for a man to live without passing urine for seven days. It is also not possible to live without drinking water. But he did it for 10 days. One does not know how he lives, but he does and that was a matter of interest, " says Dr Shah, who has been invited as the guest of honour at the Vienna premiere of the Straubinger film. The film, interestingly, also features two other people renowned for their pranic way of living.
When DIPAS conducted its study, the objective had been to identify the alternate sources of energy or the metabolic pathways in which the body conditions itself to situations of extreme deprivation. The idea was to use the findings for the benefit of those who had to deal with and survive extreme hunger -- soldiers, the very poor and those caught in natural disasters.
In April 2010 again, a battery of over 20 medical investigators from DIPAS and Sterling Hospital conducted detailed investigations for 15 days. During the study, a protocol of round-the-clock strict surveillance was followed with the help of CCTV camera and personal observations. Jani was taken out for MRI, ultrasound, XRay and exposure to sun under continuous video recordings.
Periodic clinical, biochemical, radiological and other relevant examinations were done on Jani. "The study is ongoing and we will be jointly working to unravel the secret of Mataji's mysterious survival, " says Dr Shah.
Mataji, on his part, has no problems offering up his body for intensive tests. "If my body gives insights that can help humanity, I am fine with it, " says Mataji, adding he no longer remembers what water feels like on the tongue. "It was a very long time ago. I do not remember or crave anything, " he says.