As Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 75 today, he continues to inspire people with his disciplined way of life, innovative ideas, and swift decision-making. In a March podcast with Lex Fridman this year, PM Modi discussed a powerful tool that brings both his inner and outer selves into harmony – fasting.
People who have been following Modi’s way of life are well aware of how the leader keeps multiple fasts throughout the year, a tradition that’s deeply ingrained in his life. While during Navratri, he survives on just hot water for nine days, during Chatur Mas (four months) starting from mid-June, he eats only a single meal in a day; the eating pattern continues till Diwali around November.
‘Fasting accelerates the thinking process’
The Indian prime minister shared with Fridman how fasting can make senses extra sharp, highly aware and fully tuned in, and their capability to observe and to respond multiplies, and grows sharper.
“Fasting can greatly accelerate the thinking process, and can give a fresh perspective. You start thinking outside the box. I don’t know if everyone experiences this, but I certainly do,” he told the popular US podcaster, who himself fasted for 45 hours without water and food before the podcast in honor of Modi.
Explaining the profound effect fasting may have on a person, PM went on to explain: “Every single one of your senses, especially smell, touch and taste, becomes highly sensitive. You may even notice the subtle aroma of water itself, something you probably never noticed before when drinking it. If someone walks past you carrying tea, you will catch its aroma just like you would with coffee. A small flower you’ve seen before, you will see it again today, but now you can perceive its details more vividly,” he said.
How PM Modi prepares for fasting
Fasting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a deeply personal experience, something that he rarely shared with people. However, after becoming Chief Minister of Gujarat and then Prime Minister of India, his habit of fasting became a public knowledge. Even world leaders are aware of Modi’s love for fasting. During a bilateral meeting at the White House with President Obama, PM Modi was fasting and while staff at White House were puzzled over what to serve him, Modi resolved their confusion by asking for a hot glass of water which he sipped as others had dinner.
Modi considers fasting as a scientific process and when he fasts for an extended period, he prepares his body in advance.
“For five to seven days before the fast, I follow various Ayurvedic practices and yoga practices, along with other traditional cleansing methods to internally reset my system,” he told Fridman.
PM Modi drinks a lot of water, ensuring proper hydration before beginning his fast as this helps in the detoxification process and helps prepare his “body the best possible way.”
Fasting for the prime minister is an act of devotion and a form of self-discipline. “For me personally, even while I go about doing my daily activities during a fast, my mind remains deeply introspective and focused inward, and that experience is profoundly transformative for me,” he said.
How Mahatma Gandhi’s vision inspired Modi to fast
Sharing an interesting childhood story on what inspired him to begin fasting as a child, Modi said that he followed Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of fasting for cow protection. The habit stayed with him lifelong, as he experienced a new awareness within him.
“During my school days, there was a movement inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision, his vision of cow protection. The government had not enacted any laws at the time. At the time, people across the country observed a one-day fast by gathering in public places in silent protests. We were just kids, probably had just finished primary school. Something inside me said, “I should be part of this,” and that was the first time in my life I experienced fasting. At such a young age, I felt neither hunger nor any desire for food. Instead, I felt a new awareness, a surge of energy within me,” he told Fridman.