Pilot Baba
Pilot Baba | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kapil Singh 15 July 1938 Sasaram, Shahabad district, Bihar Province, British India |
| Died | 20 August 2024 (aged 86) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | |
| Website | |
| pilotbaba | |
Wing Commander Kapil Singh (15 July 1938 – 20 August 2024), known as Pilot Baba, was an Indian spiritual guru and pilot with the Indian Air Force.[1][2]
Early life and career
Kapil Singh was commissioned in the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a fighter pilot in 1957. He participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, rising to the rank of Wing Commander.[2]
Spiritual career
During the Sino-Indian War in 1962, Singh reported an apparition of Gorakhnath that guided his plane to a safe landing after he lost all contact with his base. Ten years later, he become a guru under the moniker "Pilot Baba" following his retirement from the IAF.[3] Pilot Baba was known for his claim to enter lengthy samadhi, or death-like bodily states, often under the ground.[4][5] [6] He also claimed that he could control and manipulate the elements. His samadhi demonstrations, including supposedly being buried underground or kept under water for long periods, led to fame and donations. [3]
Ashrams
Pilot Baba set up ashrams in India and Japan.[3]
Ashrams in India include:
Death
Pilot Baba died in Mumbai, Maharashtra on 20 August 2024, at the age of 86.[7]
Publications
Books written by Pilot Baba include:
- Kailash Mansarovar
- Pearls of Wisdom
- Discover Secrets of The Himalaya
- Antaryatra' The Inner Journey (2 volumes)
- Pilgrimage from You to Yourself
- Himalayan kah raha hai (2 volumes)
References
- ^ Geeta Pandey (18 January 2007). "The ex-pilot reborn as a guru". BBC News, Allahabad. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ^ a b "IAF Wing Commander To Spiritual Guru, How Kapil Singh Became Pilot Baba". News18. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Shearer, Alistair (15 February 2020). The Story of Yoga: From Ancient India to the Modern West. Oxford University Press. pp. 222–223. ISBN 978-1-78738-372-2.
- Shearer, Alistair (10 February 2020). "Fakirs and fakers: How Ashutosh Maharaj and Pilot Baba featured in fraudulent 'yogic' feats". Scroll.in. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Amitava Sanyal; "Pilot Baba on his mastery of death Archived 30 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine", Hindustan Times, 14 January 2007 (retrieved 29 April 2018)
- ^ Kunal Verma; "Pilot Baba: From air force wing commander to sanyas Archived 30 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine", India Today, 15 February 1984. (retrieved 29 April 2018)
- ^ "Going Underground with Pilot Baba". Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Uttarakhand: Spiritual guru 'Pilot Baba' who played key role in wars against Pakistan, passes away