Narendra Modi: commitment

Transcript context

…So you still do meetings with world leaders, you still manage the affairs of India. You still carry out your role as a leader on the world stage, all fasted, and sometimes nine days? Well, this practice has a long historical context. I hope it may be interesting for those listening. There is an ancient tradition in India called Chaturmas. During the monsoon season, we know that the digestion tends to slow down, and so in this season, many people in India follow the practice of eating only a single meal within 24 hours. For me, this starts around mid-June and goes on until after Diwali around November. For about four to four and a half months, I follow this tradition of eating only once in 24 hours. Then comes the Navratri Festival in India, which usually falls in September or October. During this time, the whole country celebrates Durga Puja, a festival of strength, devotion, and spiritual discipline. This lasts for nine days. During this time, I completely abstain from food and only drink hot water. Although drinking hot water has always been a part of my daily routine, my past lifestyle was such that I naturally developed this habit over time. Then in March or April, another Navratri occurs called Chaitra Navratri. This year, it will likely begin around March 31st. During this nine-day fast, I eat only one specific fruit, once a day. So for those nine days, if let’s say I choose papaya, then for all nine days, I won’t touch anything else. Just papaya. That too, I eat only once a day. That’s how I follow my nine-day fasting routine. So there are numerous fasts I keep throughout the year, and this has become a deeply ingrained tradition in my life. Perhaps I can say that I’ve been following these practices for 50 to 55 years. Has there been times when you met with a world leader and completely fasted, and maybe what do they think about that? What do they think about your ability to do that kind of thing? And you’re right, I should mention that from even my two days, my ability to be present, my ability to sense everything, sharply focus on this experience is elevated. But yes, is there stories with a world leader that maybe jumped to mind when you were fasted?…

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