Hira Ratan Manek
Times of India | 30 Dec. 2000

Endocrinologist's update- July 13, 2001

By A Staff Reporter:

AHMEDABAD: Can the human body turn into a photovoltaic cell and covert the rays of the sun into energy? Sixty-four-year-old retired mechanical engineer Hira Ratan Manek claims it can. For the past 364 days, he claims he has not swallowed a single morsel of solid, living only on some boiled water and the star closest from the earth.

"We humans live primarily on secondary solar energy as the plants which we consume depend heavily on the sun to grow," Manek, a Kutchi living in Coimbatore, says. "All you need to do is learn to absorb from the primary source of solar energy."

To ensure that Manek's story does not sound like a fairy tale, there are an array of doctors from the Health Care International Multitherapy Institute and the Jain Doctors Association who have been monitoring his health from two days before the fast started, which will last up to February 15 to complete 411 days.

The method of becoming a solar cooker is quite simple. According to Manek, you start by looking straight into the rising morning sun for only a few seconds. Slowly you increase the time to minutes reaching up to 30 to 35 minutes. "If you do it gradually, your eyes will not be damaged and help in charging your brain with solar energy."

Manek adds that once you go above 15 minutes, your desire for food slowly diminishes. "It is victory over hunger, not its suppression." At 30 to 35 minutes, the human brain starts developing the capacity to store solar energy. "All you need to do is take a walk barefoot for about 40 to 45 minutes in the sun everyday to recharge the energy."

Claims Manek, "Only through this process can man achieve complete freedom or Moksha. You rid yourself from physical and psychological ailments. Psychosomatic ailments out of stress become a distant dream.

But more importantly you develop a corona of energy around you. As this energy field becomes stronger, diseases don't harm you. Even your worst enemy will become harmless."

Eminent neuro-physician Sudhir Shah, who has been monitoring Manek's health with a team of doctors, says, "What we have is not 100 per cent science, but hypothesis. However, we believe that this is a chronic case of adaptation syndrome where the body reduces its demand for energy after 16 to 30 days of fasting. This is done by downing the regulation of receptors."

Shah does not rule out the possibility that the temporal lobe in the human brain, which is believed to control parapsychic activity like the sixth sense, may have been activated due to this process. All other parts of the brain including the hypothalamus, the pituitary glands and the medulla oblongata have shown no signs of changing.

For Manek, a Shwetambar Jain, the fast has both religious and scientific connotations. "All this search for a microchip to insert in the human brain to store loads of information and increase memory is ridiculous," he says. "We don't even use 10 per cent of it. But once charged, its capacity is increase manifold. In fact, enlightenment in spiritual terms is nothing but 100 per cent use of the brain!"

Hira Ratan Manek a 63 year old mechanical engineer and a Gujarati businessman, who has done fasting for 211 days during 19th June 1995 to 15th Jan 96, has started yet another fast for 411 days from 1st January 2000.

Hira Ratan Manek is following the jain way of fasting and he takes only water after sunrise & before sunset from 1st January - 2000.He became famous during 1996 when he started a fast for 211 days with only water. The fast which he started was aiming to the prosperity of the world ended in the Jain temple situated in the Gujarat.

The medical team is led by HealthCare International Multitherapy Institute & Jain Doctors Federation jointly. It is fully supported by Jain Yuvak Mahasangh President Dr. Jitubhai Shah.

"We came to know about his fasting of 211 days through Dr. Laxmiben Khona and Chandrahas Khona of Ahmedabad & so we invited him in our conference to explain his aim of fasting and his feeling during fasting." Said Dr. P.G.Shah the president of Health Care International Multitherapy Institute who organised the above conference. He informed that during the First International conference on Multiple Healing Systems which was held at Ahmedabad during 4-6 December 1998, Hirabhai declared that he will be on fasting form 1st January 2000."

"Earlier, he was used to do small fasts which leads 10 to 20 days. But, when he completed the 211 days fast, his weight was reduced by 41 kg. and the Sugar level (Glucose) was lowered to 43. Medical Science says that when the glucose level of a human being decreasing below 50, then the situation becomes dangerous, even though in his case nothing has append." Said Dr. P.D.Doshi the secretary of Health Care International Multitherapy Institute. Hirabhai was ready to go for continuous medical checkup during his fasting from 1st January 2000 onwards. So we took up the challenge and asked him to stay at Ahmedabad during this period He agreed for the same so now we are doing medical check up jointly with Jain Doctors Federation.

"After the successful completion of the fast, he was living with 9 types of liquids only. Food and fruits were totally avoided. Subsequently he started dropping liquids one by one and from 1st January 2000 he is on fasting. He is not taking anything except water. This water will be taken only after boiling and that too from sunrise to sunset.

He, who is also a member of the Solar Energy Society of India, has been proved that human being can live depending on Solar Energy months together without taking any other food. He has completed 100 fasts on 9th April and he would like to study the importance of the solar Energy in the human Body.

"Fasting is a method of curing the meditation of mind and body which has been proved by great jain monks, sanyasis and munis of ancient times. There is a need to propagate these methods during this age of increasing diseases of the body and mind due to overconsumptions and increasing with fasting would help maintain perfection. Says Dr. K.K.Shah the past president of Indian Medical Association and the present president of Jain Doctors Federation. Hirabhai has completed 166 fasts on 14th June 2000 and we are very much satisfied with his health Initially his weight was 77 kgm which has now reduced up to 62kgm. All other parameters are normal. We are keeping daily record of pulse, temp, blood pressure, water intake, urine output, weight, hours of sleep etc. Blood & Urine examination, ECG etc. done regularly. Investigations like T.C., D.C., Hb, blood u rea, serum creatinine, serum acetone, lipid profiles etc is done.

Solar power could sustain you for days together without food and it has now been scientifically established that all other sources of energy will get dried up sooner or later. I have been trying to evolve a lifestyle based on effective uses of solar energy, reduced consumption and perfect mental calm through meditation which would solve many of the problems now threatening human existence,'' Hirabhai said.

"The aim of fasting is to break all caroms & to achieve Mecca." But apart from that it gives your body & mind inner strength & calmness. I believe that during fasting the solar energy provides energy to the body and if you can get energy from the Sun directly you need not eat any food says Hirabhai.

He was staying at kachhi Jain Samaj-Paldi, Ahmedabad. with free accommodation during 27th December-99 to 5th April-2000. Then he was at Dr. P.D.Doshi's Hospital- Sharda Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad during 6th April to 6th May-2000. With free accommodation. From 7th May he is at Shri Popatlal Doue's house.

Free accommodation is given to shri Hirabhai by Shri Popatbhai Dave & Ullasbhai Dave for which all members of Health Care International Multitherapy Institute & Jain Doctor Federation are very thankful to them.

Doctors Observing Shri Hira Ratan Manek:
Dr. K.K.Shah, Dr. P.G.Shah, Dr. P.D.Doshi, Dr. H.C.Mehta, Dr. Sudhir Shah, Dr. Viresh Patel, Dr. Nalin Gheewala, Dr. Hamendra Modi