Death is a mystery to all of us, and so is reincarnation. When science cannot explain somethings it is often referred to as a belief.
But there are many mysterious stories in the world now where people claim to be reincarnated and they remember their past life. One such intriguing story was of Shanti Devi.
Who Was Shanti Devi?
Shanti Devi was born on December 11, 1926, in Delhi. At the age of four itself, the little girl started claiming that the home where she lived was not her real home and that her parents were not her real parents. And that’s when she began to claim to remember details of her past life.
It was one of the most thoroughly investigated cases, studied by hundreds of researchers, critics, scholars, saints, and eminent public figures from all parts of India and abroad from the mid-1930s on.
Back home, she stated in school that she was married and had a son with her husband. She had said that her husband lived in Mathura but never uttered his name.
The headmaster located a merchant by that name in Mathura who had lost his wife, Lugdi Devi, nine years earlier, ten days after having given birth to a son.
Shanti Devi too had claimed that not only was she married but that she died 10 days after childbirth. She said that her husband, Kedar Nath, wore reading glasses, had a wart on his left cheek, and was a fair-skinned man.
Was There Any Truth To Her Claims?
Pandit Kanjimal arranged for Shanti Devi’s and Kedar Nath’s meeting. Kedar Nath came along with Ludgi’s (Shanti Devi’s name in her past life) son and his present wife.
Kedar Nath however posed as an elder brother of himself but Shanti Devi recognized him immediately and also her son Navneet Lal.
Shanti Devi narrated everything that had happened till her death after child-birth and that included the complicated surgical procedures she underwent.
The researchers were left stunned by the detailed narration unable to figure out how a little girl like her would even know about such complicated surgical procedures.
Before retiring for the night, he asked to be allowed to talk with her alone and later said that he was fully convinced that Shanti Devi was his wife Lugdi Bai because there were many things she had mentioned which no one except Lugdi could have known.
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The Girl Who Got The Father Of The Nation To Support Her Claims
The case was brought to the attention of Mahatma Gandhi who set up a commission to investigate; a report was published in 1936. Gandhi appointed 15 prominent people including parliamentarians, media members, and national leaders for investigating the case.
These 15 people took Shanti Devi to Mathura, arriving on 15 November 1935. At the station, they showed her a stranger from Mathura and asked if she could recognize him. She immediately touched his feet and recognized him as her husband’s elder brother, who he was.
On reaching home, Shanti Devi immediately recognized her father-in-law amidst a crowd. Shanti Devi told them that in her past life she had buried some money in a particular location in her house in Mathura.
Shanti Devi took the party to the second floor and showed them a spot where they found a flower pot but no money.
The girl, however, insisted that the money was there. Kedarnath later confessed that he had taken out the money. The commission’s report concluded that Shanti Devi was indeed the reincarnation of Lugdi Devi.
Where Did Her Story Lead Us Finally To
Dr. Ian Stevenson, leading authority on reincarnation, said: “I also interviewed Shanti Devi, her father, and other pertinent witnesses, including Kedarnath, the husband claimed in her previous life. My research indicates that she made at least 24 statements of her memories that matched the verified facts.”
For some it was a religious belief that had made its roots, for some it was unbelievable, if not proof, it is certainly strongly suggestive of reincarnation.
Image Credit: Google Images
Sources: Thebelief.net, Rationalist Debashish, Reincarnation Research
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This post is tagged under: Mahatma Gandhi, reincarnation, Shanti Devi, Dr. Stevenson, post-independence, Lugdibai, Kedarnath, memories, childhood memories, Indian story, pioneer research, Mathura, Delhi, Commission, investigation, is reincarnation a real thing, did mahatma gandhi believe in reincarnation, the girl who remembered everything from her past life
