Giri Bala - The Woman Who Never Eats

Dadi: "Guddu, how would you feel if you never had to eat food again?"

Guddu: "No food? But I love food! Especially your parathas, Dadi!"

Dadi: "*laughs* I know you do! But let me tell you about a real woman named Giri Bala who lived without eating or drinking for more than fifty years."

Guddu: "Fifty years without food? That's impossible!"

Dadi: "That's what everyone thought. But this is a true story, beta, from not too long ago - just about a hundred years back."

Guddu: "Tell me, Dadi!"

Dadi: "Giri Bala was born in Bengal. As a little girl, she had one problem - she was always hungry! She ate so much that everyone noticed."

Guddu: "That doesn't sound like a problem to me!"

Dadi: "*smiles* Well, when she was twelve years old, she got married and went to live with her husband's family. Her mother-in-law was a harsh woman. She constantly scolded Giri Bala for eating too much."

Guddu: "That's mean!"

Dadi: "Morning, noon, and night - "Why do you eat so much? You're a glutton! You're shameless!" On and on it went. Poor Giri Bala was humiliated every day."

Guddu: "What did she do?"

Dadi: "One morning, after a particularly cruel scolding, something changed in her heart. She made a bold promise: "I will prove to you that I will never touch food again as long as I live.""

Guddu: "Just because of the scolding? That seems extreme!"

Dadi: "Sometimes, beta, difficult situations push us toward extraordinary paths. Giri Bala prayed intensely for help. And by the grace of God, a spiritual master appeared to her at the riverbank."

Guddu: "A guru? Like in the old stories?"

Dadi: "Yes! This guru taught her a special technique - a secret way of breathing and meditation that allowed her body to get energy directly from sunlight and air, instead of food."

Guddu: "Energy from sunlight? Like a plant?"

Dadi: "In a way, beta. She called it "astral light" - divine energy that flows through the universe. Most people can't access it. But through years of practice, Giri Bala learned to live on this energy alone."

Guddu: "Did it work? Did she really stop eating?"

Dadi: "She never ate or drank again. Not for fifty-six years, until she was an old woman."

Guddu: "But how do we know it's true? Maybe she ate secretly?"

Dadi: "Very good question! The Maharaja of Burdwan asked the same thing. He invited her to his palace and locked her in a room for two months. No food or water went in. After two months, she was perfectly healthy!"

Guddu: "Two months!"

Dadi: "Then he did the test again for twenty days. Then fifteen days. The Maharaja announced that he was completely convinced - she truly did not eat."

Guddu: "Did anyone famous meet her?"

Dadi: "A great yogi named Paramahansa Yogananda traveled to her village in 1936 to meet her. He wrote about her in his famous book. He found her living simply, in good health, with clear skin and bright eyes."

Guddu: "What was she like?"

Dadi: "She was humble and quiet. She told Yogananda that she slept very little, meditated at night, and did her household chores during the day. She was never sick. She felt the seasons change but wasn't bothered by heat or cold."

Guddu: "Dadi, if she knew how to live without food, why didn't she teach everyone? There are so many hungry people in the world!"

Dadi: "*nods* Yogananda asked her the same question. She said her guru had forbidden her from teaching the technique. The reason was interesting - if everyone stopped eating, what would happen to farmers? To cooks? To all the people whose work involves food?"

Guddu: "Oh... the whole world would change."

Dadi: "Exactly. Giri Bala's gift was meant to show what's possible - that we are spiritual beings, not just physical bodies. But the world still needs its farmers and kitchens and families sharing meals together."

Guddu: "So she was like... proof that miracles are real?"

Dadi: "Yes, beta. Her life showed that the human spirit can do incredible things through devotion and practice. But that doesn't mean everyone should try it! Most of us are meant to eat my parathas and enjoy them!"

Guddu: "*laughs* Good! I don't want to give up food!"

Dadi: "And you shouldn't. Giri Bala's story teaches us something else too. Remember how it all started? With cruel treatment from her mother-in-law?"

Guddu: "Yes..."

Dadi: "That painful situation pushed her toward an extraordinary path. Sometimes, beta, the difficulties in our lives lead us to discover our greatest strengths. Giri Bala turned her suffering into something miraculous."

Guddu: "She turned a bad thing into a good thing."

Dadi: "Exactly. Now, speaking of food - shall we go have some dinner? No astral light tonight, just regular dal and rice!"

Guddu: "*jumps up* Yes please, Dadi! I'm hungry!"