Study proves Gujarat man's claim of living without food, water

DIPAS, in an update posted on its website on the observational study of Jani done here at Sterling Hospital, said, "It is hypothesized that Prahalad Jani has some extreme form of adaptation to starvation and water restrictions. Cell biology studies have shown that the peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibit more tolerance to stress."

The institute plans further studies for random observation at Jani's place of residence over a period of time.

Prahlad Jani, popularly known as Mataji in Gujarat, was the subject of a fortnight's study (between April 22 and May 6) conducted jointly by DIPAS and Sterling Hospital, along with Professor Anil K Gupta of SRISTI, to understand this paradoxical phenomenon.

During the study, a protocol of round-the-clock strict surveillance was followed with the help of CCTV cameras and personal observations. Jani also did not pass urine from his body during the observation period.

Mataji was taken out for MRI, ultrasound, X-Ray and exposure to the sun under continuous video recording. Periodic clinical, biochemical, radiological and other relevant examinations were done on him as part of the study headed by DIPAS director Dr GIlavazhagan.

The director was accompanied by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's Dr Sudhir Shah, an eminent neurologist, and a panel of distinguished specialists from different medical disciplines.

"During the observation period Mataji did not consume anything and did not pass stools. The only contact with any form of fluid was during gargling and bathing periodically during the study, beginning from the 5th day of it," the DIPAS study stated.

In an update, DIPAS has stated that further studies are being conducted to get answers to questions like how metabolic waste material is eliminated from his body, from where he gets his energy for sustenance, and how he maintains his hydration status.