Yogi Pullavar
Encyclopedia
Yogi Pullavar, also known as Subbayah Pullavar, was an India
n man who on 6 June 1936 was reported to have levitated into the air for four minutes in front of a crowd of 150 witnesses.
Yogi's feat was publicly observed and photographed in an exhibition that occurred in South India
. The feat was executed around noon on a sunny, cloudless day and in an area where visibility was not obscured. The Illustrated London News
printed the story and photos which were taken from various angles by P. Y. Plunkett who was a witness present that day and scrutinized the entire event.
Yogi Pullavar’s assistants erected a small tent in an open area where Pullavar began by ritualistically pouring a circle of water around the perimeter
of the tent. Shoes were not permitted within the area marked by the circle. Yogi Pullavar then entered the tent where he remained hidden from view for a few minutes, after which the attendants then removed the tent. Once revealed, Yogi Pullavar was seen suspended horizontally several feet above the ground. He was in a trance
, lightly resting his hand on top of a cloth covered stick. It was asserted by witnesses present that Yogi did not exert pressure on the stick for support, but instead used it as a point of reference. Many photographs were taken from various angles of this exhibition and witnesses present were permitted to thoroughly examine the levitation. They meticulously searched for strings, props and any means of possible support above, below and around the levitating Pullavar, however nothing was found.
After four minutes the attendants erected the tent around Yogi Pullavar to shield him as he made his descent. P.Y. Plunkett positioned himself so that the sunlight enabled him to discern Pullavar through the thin cloth tent walls. He reported noticing Yogi Pullavar gently swaying for a short time while still in mid-air. Finally, he slowly sank in a horizontal position to the ground. The entire process took an estimated five minutes to complete.
When the tent was again removed, Yogi Pullavar was lying on the ground, still in a deep trance. Volunteers were asked to try to bend Pullavar’s limbs. His arms and legs could not be bent from their locked position. Attendants had to splash water on Yogi Pullavar and rub him down for five minutes before he finally came out of his trance and was once again able to use his limbs.
s, ranging from Western Christian
s to the Eastern Ninjas of Japan
, many reports have emerged regarding levitatation. Such instances of witnessed levitation include Milarepa
, a great thirteenth century yogi
of Tibet
, who is said to have levitated before a group. The most persistent records of levitations are among Christians who have documented such events and indicate that over 200 of their Catholic Saints have been credited with levitating.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n man who on 6 June 1936 was reported to have levitated into the air for four minutes in front of a crowd of 150 witnesses.
Yogi's feat was publicly observed and photographed in an exhibition that occurred in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. The feat was executed around noon on a sunny, cloudless day and in an area where visibility was not obscured. The Illustrated London News
Illustrated London News
The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper; the first issue appeared on Saturday 14 May 1842. It was published weekly until 1971 and then increasingly less frequently until publication ceased in 2003.-History:...
printed the story and photos which were taken from various angles by P. Y. Plunkett who was a witness present that day and scrutinized the entire event.
Yogi Pullavar’s assistants erected a small tent in an open area where Pullavar began by ritualistically pouring a circle of water around the perimeter
Perimeter
A perimeter is a path that surrounds an area. The word comes from the Greek peri and meter . The term may be used either for the path or its length - it can be thought of as the length of the outline of a shape. The perimeter of a circular area is called circumference.- Practical uses :Calculating...
of the tent. Shoes were not permitted within the area marked by the circle. Yogi Pullavar then entered the tent where he remained hidden from view for a few minutes, after which the attendants then removed the tent. Once revealed, Yogi Pullavar was seen suspended horizontally several feet above the ground. He was in a trance
Altered state of consciousness
An altered state of consciousness , also named altered state of mind, is any condition which is significantly different from a normal waking beta wave state. The expression was used as early as 1966 by Arnold M. Ludwig and brought into common usage from 1969 by Charles Tart: it describes induced...
, lightly resting his hand on top of a cloth covered stick. It was asserted by witnesses present that Yogi did not exert pressure on the stick for support, but instead used it as a point of reference. Many photographs were taken from various angles of this exhibition and witnesses present were permitted to thoroughly examine the levitation. They meticulously searched for strings, props and any means of possible support above, below and around the levitating Pullavar, however nothing was found.
After four minutes the attendants erected the tent around Yogi Pullavar to shield him as he made his descent. P.Y. Plunkett positioned himself so that the sunlight enabled him to discern Pullavar through the thin cloth tent walls. He reported noticing Yogi Pullavar gently swaying for a short time while still in mid-air. Finally, he slowly sank in a horizontal position to the ground. The entire process took an estimated five minutes to complete.
When the tent was again removed, Yogi Pullavar was lying on the ground, still in a deep trance. Volunteers were asked to try to bend Pullavar’s limbs. His arms and legs could not be bent from their locked position. Attendants had to splash water on Yogi Pullavar and rub him down for five minutes before he finally came out of his trance and was once again able to use his limbs.
Other reports of levitation
Historically, there have been many other accounts of people levitating. Within a large diversity religionReligion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s, ranging from Western Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s to the Eastern Ninjas of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, many reports have emerged regarding levitatation. Such instances of witnessed levitation include Milarepa
Milarepa
Jetsun Milarepa , is generally considered one of Tibet's most famous yogis and poets. He was a student of Marpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.- Life :...
, a great thirteenth century yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, who is said to have levitated before a group. The most persistent records of levitations are among Christians who have documented such events and indicate that over 200 of their Catholic Saints have been credited with levitating.
See also
- Magnetic levitationMagnetic levitationMagnetic levitation, maglev, or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields...
- PsychokinesisPsychokinesisThe term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
- Levitation (paranormal)
- Anomalous phenomenon
- Yogic flying
- Other people who have allegedly levitated:
- Jesus of Nazareth
- St Joseph of Cupertino
- St Teresa of Avila
- Simon MagusSimon MagusSimon the Sorcerer or Simon the Magician, in Latin Simon Magus, was a Samaritan magus or religious figure and a convert to Christianity, baptised by Philip the Apostle, whose later confrontation with Peter is recorded in . The sin of simony, or paying for position and influence in the church, is...
- Clara Germana CeleClara Germana CeleClara Germana Cele was a Christian woman, who in 1906, was said to be possessed by a demon.-Possession:She is said to have been possessed when she was a sixteen year old school girl at St. Michael's Mission in Natal, South Africa. The girl was an orphan of black origin and was baptised as an infant...
- Jetson MilarepaMilarepaJetsun Milarepa , is generally considered one of Tibet's most famous yogis and poets. He was a student of Marpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.- Life :...