Shanti Devi: The Girl Who Lived Twice
In a bustling corner of British India in the early 20th century, a young girl named Shanti Devi from Delhi stunned the world with a claim that defied logic, religion, and science. She said, with quiet certainty, that she had lived before—not metaphorically, but literally. She knew the names, places, people, and even minute details of her previous life with uncanny accuracy.
This story is not a fable or myth told in hushed tones—it was investigated by Mahatma Gandhi himself, probed by psychologists, studied by scholars, and remains one of the most compelling cases of claimed reincarnation in modern recorded history.
SHANTI DEVI
The Beginning of an Unbelievable Claim
Born on December 11, 1926, in Delhi, Shanti Devi was a quiet and introverted child. Her early years were uneventful—until the age of four, when she began to tell her parents that she was not their daughter in the true sense. Instead, she insisted that she had a husband and a son in a town called Mathura, over 100 miles away.
Her claims were initially dismissed as childish speculation. But Shanti was persistent. She provided astonishingly specific details:
- Kedar Nath is the name of her husband.
- Her own previous name: Ludgi Devi (or Lugdi Devi)
- Details of her house, family members, and neighbourhood in Mathura
- Even the exact colour scheme and arrangement of the rooms in her previous home
Parents Turn Sceptical to Curious
What changed the tide was Shanti’s increasing distress. She longed to return to Mathura and kept begging to meet her “real family.” She knew more than any child her age could: Mathura’s intricate birth rituals, regional dialects, and lifestyle practices. She had never been to Mathura. Her neighbours and teachers, who were also taken aback by her behaviour, reported it to academics in the area and eventually to prominent figures.
Mahatma Gandhi Gets Involved
The case gained such public interest that it reached the ears of Mahatma Gandhi, who was fascinated and concerned. Gandhi set up a commission of 15 respected people, including journalists, politicians, and spiritual scholars, to investigate the matter.
This was no ordinary investigation. The group wanted proof, not belief.
In 1935, they brought Shanti to Mathura without revealing the precise address or making any contact with Kedar Nath, the alleged husband. What unfolded next shocked even the hardened skeptics.
The Mathura Trip: Truth or Miracle?
As soon as Shanti stepped foot in Mathura, her demeanour changed. Like someone who had been there for a long time, she moved around the town. Without guidance, she:
Identified her former house
Recognized her previous in-laws
Accurately pointed out her bedroom and even a hidden box where she used to keep money
Emotionally embraced a young boy, identifying him as her son from the previous life
When she met Kedar Nath, now a widower, she wept uncontrollably and even reprimanded him for remarrying, something she had predicted in Delhi before the trip.
Kedar Nath was overwhelmed and admitted that all her claims matched exactly with the life of his deceased wife, Lugdi Devi, who had died ten days after giving birth due to complications.
Who Was Lugdi Devi?
The real Lugdi Devi had:
- Died in 1925, just a year before Shanti was born
- Suffered from medical issues and had multiple surgeries
- Repeatedly told her husband during her last days that she would be reborn and return.
Shanti Devi’s Life After Death Despite the fame and spiritual significance of her claims, Shanti Devi chose a life of relative seclusion. She never married, lived a simple life, and remained spiritually inclined until her last breath.
Despite the fact that she passed away in 1987, her legacy continues to stoke interest in the possibility of reincarnation, inspire films, and stoke debate.
Shanti Could Recognize People from Past Life Photographs
When shown a group photo containing her “former husband” and some unknown men, she correctly picked out Kedar Nath without ever having seen a picture of him before.
Inspired Movies and Books
Her story inspired multiple dramatizations, including the film “Mujhe Jeene Do” and chapters in books like “20 Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation” by Ian Stevenson.
International Studies Continued for Decades
The case was re-evaluated even in the 1980s and appeared in several documentaries, including a BBC report and international academic journals.
The story of Shanti Devi remains an unsolved, mystifying case that challenges the boundaries of human understanding.
Specific prayers from her previous life came to mind. Shanti Devi was able to perform household rites and Sanskrit mantras that only married Mathura women had traditionally performed. Her parents had never taught her these. Many of these were local customs unique to Lugdi Devi’s community.
She Picked Out Items She Previously Owned
When presented with household objects—some that belonged to Lugdi Devi and some that did not—Shanti was able to identify her former personal belongings with 100% accuracy. This test was done by Kedar Nath’s family to verify her claim.
She Mentioned a Hidden Money Stash—And It Was Found. Shanti mentioned a secret stash of money Lugdi had hidden in a particular corner of the house. When the family checked, they discovered the stash exactly where she said—and nobody else in the family knew about it.
Her Case Has Been Cited in Scientific and Paranormal Journals
- Her story is not just folklore; it is cited in works by renowned researchers like
- Dr. Ian Stevenson (University of Virginia)
- Dr. Satwant Pasricha (India’s leading parapsychologist)
- K.S. Rawat, who also documented several other reincarnation cases
- They have listed her story as one of the “Top 10 Most Credible Reincarnation Cases Ever Studied.”
Schools and Teachers Witnessed Early Evidence Shanti’s teachers in Delhi testified that prior to the age of 10, she frequently discussed Mathura, her previous husband, and her son in class. They thought she had a mental illness at first, but then her knowledge started matching information from the real world.
She Recalled Her Death in Vivid Detail. Shanti described how Lugdi Devi had died—a difficult childbirth, pain in the abdomen, and fading consciousness. The timing and physical symptoms matched exactly with the hospital report from 1925, which had been locked away from public access.
She claimed that her son recognized her. She felt emotionally connected to her alleged past-life son, who was approximately 10 when she first met him. He told reporters that Shanti hugged him like a mother and even recalled pet names and a lullaby that his mother used to sing—details never revealed publicly.
Final Thought:
In a world increasingly driven by science and logic, stories like Shanti Devi’s serve as portals to the unknown, reminding us that some mysteries are not meant to be solved, only experienced.