Shanti Devi Biography 
The reincarnation case of Shanti Devi from Delhi was the first widely acknowledged and thoroughly documented one in India. During her childhood in the early 1930s she claimed to remember about her past life, where she identified herself as the wife of a merchant of Madhura, Kedar Nath who died following child delivery. This case drew attention of none other than Mahatma Gandhi, who set up a commission to investigate the case and a detailed report was published in 1936. Though such claims of rebirth have occurred several times in India, it was one of the cases which achieved worldwide attention and documented for the first time as well.
Shanti Devi was born on 11 December 1926 in Delhi. At the age of 4, she told her parents that her house is at Madhura, Uttar Pradesh where her husband lived. But she was discouraged by her parents to go to Madhura, which prompted Shanti to run away from her home at the age of 4. She was taken back to home and while at school she claimed that she is already married and died ten days after giving birth to a child. She was investigated by her parents and teachers and she surprised everyone stating that she was married to a merchant Kedar Nath and she even used words from the Mathura dialect.
The headmaster conducted an investigation and found that her claims are true. There was indeed one merchant with the same name, who lost his wife Lugdi Devi nine years ago, the similar way Shanti Devi explained. To test her, Kedar Nath reached Delhi, in pretend of her brother. But she identified him as her husband and she even told many facts of Kedar nath’s life which convinced him and others. The girl who was known to only the locals became news nationwide and finally all over the world.
Later Mahatma Gandhi set up a commission to investigate the case and commission took young Shanti along with them to Madhura, where she identified many family members including the grandfather of Lugdi Devi. They reached Madhura on November 15, 1935 and Shanti found that Kedar Nath has neglected many promises he made while Lugdi Devi was on her deathbed. She returned back home and the commission concluded that Shanti Devi was the reincarnation of Lugdi Devi. Later several documentaries were made on her and she has been interviewed several times till her death took place on December 27, 1987. She remained unmarried and the investigations were active till her death.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 18, 2016
