"Sir, we would like to know more of the fasting saint."
"Her name is Giri Bala," I informed my companions. "I first heard
about her years ago from a scholarly gentleman, Sthiti Lal Nundy.
He often came to the Gurpar Road home to tutor my brother Bishnu."
"'I know Giri Bala well,' Sthiti Babu told me. 'She employs a
certain yoga technique which enables her to live without eating. I
was her close neighbor in Nawabganj near Ichapur. {FN46-1} I made
it a point to watch her closely; never did I find evidence that
she was taking either food or drink. My interest finally mounted so
high that I approached the Maharaja of Burdwan {FN46-2} and asked
him to conduct an investigation. Astounded at the story, he invited
her to his palace. She agreed to a test and lived for two months
locked up in a small section of his home. Later she returned for a
palace visit of twenty days; and then for a third test of fifteen
days. The Maharaja himself told me that these three rigorous
scrutinies had convinced him beyond doubt of her non-eating state.'
"This story of Sthiti Babu's has remained in my mind for over
twenty-five years," I concluded. "Sometimes in America I wondered
if the river of time would not swallow the YOGINI {FN46-3} before
I could meet her. She must be quite aged now. I do not even know
where, or if, she lives. But in a few hours we shall reach Purulia;
her brother has a home there."
By ten-thirty our little group was conversing with the brother,
Lambadar Dey, a lawyer of Purulia.
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