At just 4 years old, little Shanti Devi began astonishing her parents with details about her “past life” in a distant town over 100 kilometers away.
Shanti Devi recalled every detail of her previous life, captivating researchers on reincarnation worldwide. (Photo: Goodreads)
For centuries, religion and philosophy have debated the existence of the soul, and the case of a girl named Shanti Devi, who lived in New Delhi, India, during the 1930s, provides compelling evidence for reincarnation.
Not long after she began speaking, Devi stunned her parents with stories about her past life in a town they had never visited. Any event in her current life triggered memories of her “previous life.” For instance, a meal would remind her of dishes she had enjoyed long ago, or while dressing, she would recount tales of clothes she once wore.
Devi even stated that her former name was Lugdi, who had died after giving birth to a son in October 1925. She shared strange details about the labor pains and surgical procedures Lugdi underwent.
Clearly, such facts could not have been fabricated by even the most imaginative child.
When Devi revealed the name of her “past life” husband, her family was shocked to discover he was still alive and lived exactly where Devi claimed she had once lived. A historic meeting was arranged, and what transpired left scientists bewildered.
Shanti Devi appeared in a newspaper in 1937. (Photo: Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph)
Memories of a Past Life
Born on December 11, 1926, Shanti Devi was an ordinary baby until around the age of four, when she began sharing strange stories about her “past life” in the town of Mathura, over 100 kilometers from her home.
Devi recalled all the shops and streets in Mathura, where her current family had never been. She spoke of her former husband, a merchant, but only revealed his name at the age of nine, along with details like a mole on his left cheek and his habit of wearing reading glasses.
Initially, Devi’s parents thought her strange memories were just childish fantasies. However, when Devi revealed that her “past life” husband was Pandit Kedarnath Chaube, sometimes referred to as Kedar Nath, a family friend decided to investigate the truth of her claims.
This friend wrote to a merchant named Kedar Nath in Mathura to inquire about Devi’s memories. Remarkably, merchant Nath responded, confirming all the details Devi had mentioned were accurate. Nath agreed to visit Devi’s home with a relative to assess the situation.
To test Devi, a relative was brought to her, claiming to be her husband. Devi immediately rejected this, stating he was merely her husband’s cousin. Then, Nath and his 10-year-old son, born to Lugdi, entered the house. Upon seeing them, Devi burst into tears.
Nath requested a private conversation with Devi, after which he declared that every answer she provided to his “test” questions was entirely accurate.
“He found her answers to be so precise that he was moved to tears! It was as if his deceased wife was speaking,” an investigator noted in a report on the case in 1937.
In 1935, Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi sent 15 lawmakers, officials, and media representatives to investigate Shanti Devi’s case.
Shanti spent a few days with Kedar Nath and his son before they had to return to Mathura. Heartbroken to part from her <em“husband and son,” she pleaded with her parents to return to her old hometown. Devi promised she could lead them directly to their former home and even revealed she had buried a box of money there.
Devi’s parents acquiesced, as the story had garnered the attention of Mahatma Gandhi, leaving them little choice. In November 1935, dozens of researchers and investigators traveled by train with Devi and her parents for three hours to Mathura.
Return to the Old Home
One investigator recounted: “Upon exiting the train station, the girl was placed in the front seat, and our vehicle drove ahead of all others. The driver was instructed to follow only the route indicated by the girl.”
Devi easily guided the group to what she insisted was her old home. Along the way, she pointed out many streets that were not paved and buildings that did not exist in her previous life. The driver confirmed her observations were accurate.
When they arrived at the house where Kedar Nath and his son lived, a member of the investigation committee established by Gandhi asked about the box of money Devi had mentioned. She immediately ran upstairs, went straight to a corner of the room, and declared the box was hidden beneath a floorboard. Kedar Nath opened the floor and found a small silver box, but it was empty. He later admitted to having taken the money from the box after his wife’s death.
Devi’s reunion trip to Mathura continued at her former parents’ home. “The girl not only recognized the house but could also identify her former parents among a crowd of over 50 people,” an investigator wrote.
In their report, the investigation committee stated there was “no reasonable explanation” for what they had witnessed.
Shanti Devi (third from left) never married and lived with her parents until their death. (Photo: Goodreads)
Experience of Death
It seems that Devi not only recalled her life in the past but also provided an explanation for the passage into the afterlife. In 1936 and 1939, she recounted her death experience to skeptics and hypnotists.
Devi said that at the moment of her death, she felt dizzy and was enveloped in “deep darkness” before a light flashed, revealing four men in yellow underwear before her. “All four appeared to be teenagers, and their appearance and attire were very bright,” Devi recalled while being hypnotized. “They placed me in a cup and carried me away.”
Devi stated she saw the Hindu god Krishna showing each person their “records” of good and bad deeds from their lives and informing them of what would happen next. She was then taken to a golden staircase, from which she could see a river “clean and pure as milk.” She observed spirits appearing and fading like “flames in lamps.”
Many years later, Shanti Devi appeared in a press interview in 1958. By then, she was 32 years old and had never married. She lived a quiet, spiritual life in Delhi.
Shanti Devi passed away in 1987 at the age of 61. Her story was preserved in a book by Swedish author Sture Lonnerstrand, published in 1994 and translated into English in 1998.
