Episode 109: Reincarnation - The Shanti Devi Story

Shanti Devi’s reincarnation case, one of the most compelling and well-documented in modern studies, unfolded in 1920s and 1930s India, a period of cultural revival and anti-colonial resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi. Born in Delhi on December 11, 1926, Shanti began claiming at age four to be Lugdi Devi, a woman from Mathura who died in 1925 after childbirth, about a year before Shanti’s birth. She provided precise details about Mathura, her husband Kedar Nath Chaubey, their son, and her past life, using Mathura’s dialect and terms unfamiliar to her Delhi family. Her school principal verified Kedar’s existence, and a surprise visit from Kedar and his family saw Shanti correctly identify them, emotionally reconnecting with her former husband and son. Intrigued, Gandhi commissioned an investigation in 1935, during which Shanti led researchers to Lugdi’s Mathura home, noted town changes, and located an empty coffer where she claimed to have hidden money (Kedar admitted removing it). The 1936 commission report concluded Shanti was Lugdi’s reincarnation, finding no rational explanation for her knowledge. Shanti later described her death and afterlife experiences, lived a quiet spiritual life, and passed away in 1987. Her case, extensively studied and covered by media, remains a cornerstone in reincarnation research.

 

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak

5:45 Shanti Devi

48:00 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation

 

Sources:

Hartzman, M. (2024, April 29). Shanti Devi, the girl who claimed she was reincarnated. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/shanti-devi

 

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep