Viral Claim Of A 118 Year Old Man Rescued From A Cave Is False
The Claim by Concerned Citizen on X that a 188-year-old man was rescued from a cave near Bengaluru have been debunked by X community notes under a viral video, in which users correctly identified the supercentenarian as Siyaram Baba, whose estimated age is about 110.
It would be recalled that the ascetic made headlines in July after it was revealed that he is a devout believer of Rama, the protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana, so much so that he purportedly spends 21 hours a day reading it.
It was gathered that Siyaram Baba reportedly lives at Bhatyan Ashram, in the district of Khargone, Madhya Pradesh. The spiritual leader is best known for having supposedly performed a rigorous penance, standing on one leg for 10 years.
Siyaram Baba has dedicated his life to Lord Rama and the Ramayana, which, the legend goes, he reads daily without requiring so much as glasses.
Aside from his 21-hour reading marathon, the monk also performs other daily rituals, such as meditation and prayer.
He lives an austere lifestyle in a modest ashram, wearing only a loincloth.
The exact age of Siyaram Baba is said to be unknown, but he is believed to be well over 100 years old.
By some estimates, he’s 110, making him a supercentenarian. A few of his disciples even put the figure at 130.
The oldest person ever on record is Jeanne Calment, who lived to be 122 years old (1875 – 1997). In fact, the Frenchwoman is the only human verified to have lived past 120.
Whether Siyaram Baba comes close will remain shrouded in mystery. However, it’s highly unlikely that the ascetic is 188 years old.
Concerned Citizen, the X user who shared a video of the monk being escorted near a shrine, themselves later admitted that it was a huge overestimate.
“I’m embarrassed I even wrote 188. Anything over 120 would have been ridiculous,” the account said.
