Devraha Baba (1477 – 1989)

An Indian Siddha Yogi Saint named Devraha Baba, who passed away in 1989, was a yogi who lived just such a lifestyle. Devraha Baba was from the spiritual heritage of the Avatar Ramanandacharya, and lived beside the Yamuna River in Mathura. He lived on a 12-foot-high wooden platform where he usually remained stark naked. He never ate food. He only drank water from the Yamuna River. He claimed he could be in two places simultaneously. He was observed to have stayed underwater unaided for half an hour. He always radiated love. He was a Premaswarupa, an incarnation of love. He gave darshan (spiritual blessing) to devotees who came to pay homage. Many came to visit this great illustrious saint. People came from all over India and from all walks of life. He was a favorite among India's senior politicians, and was visited by Mrs. Indira and Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. Ministers, saints, yogis, priests, rich and poor all came for Baba's darshan.

Devraha was described as a "fully God realized master" and "an ageless saint of legendary repute". One legend has it that Devraha blessed Tulsidas (1532–1623), which would make him over 500 years old a rough estimate is that around the world, his devotees may number in hundreds of thousands to millions of people.  Devraha Baba's birth date has been claimed as 1477; his death in 1989 would give a lifespan of 512 or 513 years, one of the longest modern longevity Myth.

According to Devraha, he wasn't born from a woman's womb, but emerged from water.  According to legend, Devraha Baba never ate any food. He is described as a major attraction in the Kumbh Mela. The Baba used to bless his devotees by touching their heads with his foot.

The first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prashad  stated that his father had sat at the feet of Devraha Baba as a child in the middle of the nineteenth century, and Devraha Baba was already elderly at that time and that his father already had known Baba for many years before that. An Allahabad High Court Barrister had stated that seven generations of his family had sat at the feet of Devraha Baba. Incidentally, Devraha Baba had predicted the time of his death five years in advance.

It was rumoured that Devraha Baba claimed that he had lived for over 700 years. Until I can substantiate this rumour I need to consider it just a rumour. Nevertheless, I make mention of this rumour because Devraha Baba's family tree records place his age to be at least 250 years when he took Mahasamadhi (relinquished his body) in 1989. If he was able to live to be 250, then it is possible that he lived for 700 years as well. Baba was called, "The Ageless Yogi." Devraha Baba gained mastery over the khecheri state of yoga whereby he was able to control his hunger and the time of his death.

Since Giri Bala's interview with Yogananda, the world has undergone an exponential awakening in consciousness and science. The ancient teachings of the Rishis, which here to fore have been kept secret and only shared with the closest of disciples, now are readily available to everyone. As more people begin meditation practices and learns to tap their inner cosmic energies, and as medical science moves towards eradicating all diseases, it is conceivable that the human life span will be extended by decades if not by centuries.