In what can be called nothing short of a miracle, a 120-year-old man from Kolkata underwent the first medical checkup of his life after he complained of a headache. Surprisingly, that was also the first headache of his life.
When Swami Sivananda was born, it had only been a year since X-ray was invented, and on Saturday, he was unperturbed after he went for an MRI scan. What's amazing was that all his reports were normal, even blood pressure.
While Swami Sivananda's passport and Aadhaar card say that he is 120 years, he looks 50 years younger and there's hardly a wrinkle on his cheeks.
Doctors and nurses at the private hospital were awestruck by the monk's mental and physical agility and were surprised when he did a sarbangasana when they requested him.
"All these years, we've never heard Swamiji com plain of health problems. When he said he was having headaches, we persuaded him to get a check-up," said Dr S C Garai, a disciple. All they found was systolic hypertension (18080).
"Even people in their forties can have such high blood pressure if they lead stressful lives.Swami Sivananda has the heart of a young man. Clinically, his heart seems to be in good condition.The ECG and echocardiogram reports are awaited. He agreed to take medication for his high blood pressure but asked us if he could postpone it by five days so that he can work on reducing it on his own," said Dr PC Mondal, interventional cardiologist at the hospital.
The oldest man of India?
Born on August 8, 1896, in Behala, reports say that Swamiji could be the oldest living person not only in India, but also the world as he is five years older than Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, who holds the Guinness Record.
Originally from Varanasi, he moves around the country and abroad for spiritual discourses. He was staying with a devotee in Salt Lake when he started complaining of headaches after every discourse. As his followers insisted, he went for a check-up.
Continue reading on the next page to know about swamiji's diet and the secret health food that he eats every day.
The secret of his good health
And what's the secret for his good health and longevity? "I believe in eating simple, living humble and in being compassionate. I feel good when I have tried my best to help those in distress," the guru told TOI in perfect English, though he has never got a formal education in life.
He had boiled rice, boiled pulses and boiled vegetables with a couple of green chillies from the hospital's canteen for lunch. Green chillies is something that he never misses and eats every single day.
"As a child who had to sleep on an empty stomach many nights, even boiled food is a fancy. I stuck to boiled food as a habit and not because I was conscious of my health. Fruits and milk are a fancy for the hungry so I avoid them," said Swami Sivananda.
Swami Sivananda lives in a 600 sq ft flat in Varanasi donated by his disciples. He sleeps on a mat with a wooden block for a pillow. He performs yoga, pranayama and freehand exercises for two hours daily.
Every Saturday, he distributes food to the poor and needy along with his disciples. Now, that's a life worth emulating!
Also Read: Here's why you should add hari mirch (green chillies) to your kid's lunchbox!
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