Devraha Baba (died 19 June 1990), was an Indian

Siddha ''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual ...

Yogi saint who lived beside the

Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

river in

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

. He was known as "ageless Yogi".

Life

Little is known about the early life of Devraha Baba, beyond that in the first half of the 20th century he visited Maiel, a town 20 km south west of

Salempur, Uttar Pradesh Salempur City is one of the oldest Tehsil Headquarters (founded in 1939), 71 Parliamentary Constituency which covers Vidhan Sabha of Salempur and Bhatpar Rani in Deoria district and Belthara Road, Sikanderpur and Bansdih of Ballia District. ...

. Here he started living atop a ''machan'', a high platform made of wooden logs, situated 3 km from the town on the banks of

Sarayu river The Sarju ( Kumaoni: सरज्यू, Hindi: सरयू), also known as Saryu, is a major river draining Central Kumaon region in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Originating from Sarmul, Sarju flows through the cities of Kapkot, Bageshwar ...

. The place was near chilma Bazar

Deoria District Deoria district, one of the districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India has its headquarters located at Deoria and is a part of Gorakhpur division. It came into existence on 16 March 1946 from Gorakhpur district. History Ancient The area now ...

, thus local people started calling him Devraha Baba, with '' Baba'' being an honorific for saints or old men. Thereafter he shifted to

Vrindavan Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in Hinduism as Krishna spent most of his childho ...

, where again he lived atop a machan on the banks of

Yamuna river The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Ba ...

for the rest of his years. He visited many places in India and known in different names in different states. At Purneswari Maa Tara Tarini shakti Peetha in Ganjam (Odisha), locals addressed him by the name of Chamatkari Baba. Even today, the priests of Maa Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha remember his miracles during his visit to Maa's Peetha. Once Devraha Baba also attested to it in an Interview with All India Radio. Devraha Baba was a hermit from Vrindavan. He was considered to be a "spiritual guide to everyone from a pauper to the most powerful ... above narrow confines of caste and community." Village people as well as important personalities waited for hours to have a glimpse or '' darshan'' of him. He received visits from politicians seeking his blessings at the time of general elections, including Indira Gandhi,

Buta Singh Buta Singh (21 March 1934 – 2 January 2021) was an Indian politician and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. He was the Union Home Minister of India, Governor of Bihar and was chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Cas ...

, and Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia Gandhi visited his ashram on the eve of the 1989 elections. He used to bless the devotees with his feet. He lived on a wooden platform near the river and wore a small deerskin. A barricade of wooden planks hid his semi-naked body from his devotees, and he came down only to bathe in the river.

Notes

References

* - Total pages: 367 * - Total pages: 434 * - Total pages: 490 {{DEFAULTSORT:Baba, Devraha 1990 deaths Longevity myths People from Mathura Deoria district Indian Hindu yogis 20th-century Hindu religious leaders