| Pilot Baba | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kapil Singh 15 July 1938 (1938-07-15) Sasaram, Shahabad district, Bihar Province, British India |
| Died | 20 August 2024 (2024-08-21) (aged 86) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | |
| Website | |
| pilotbaba | |
Wing Commander Kapil Singh (15 July 1938 – 20 August 2024), known as Pilot Baba, was an Indian spiritual guru and pilot with the Indian Air Force.
Early life and career
Kapil Singh was commissioned in the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a fighter pilot in 1957. He participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, rising to the rank of Wing Commander.
Spiritual career
During the Sino-Indian War in 1962, Singh reported an apparition of Gorakhnath that guided his plane to a safe landing after he lost all contact with his base. Ten years later, he become a guru under the moniker "Pilot Baba" following his retirement from the IAF. Pilot Baba was known for his claim to enter lengthy samadhi, or death-like bodily states, often under the ground.
Ashrams
Pilot Baba set up ashrams in India and Japan.
Ashrams in India include:
Death
Pilot Baba died in Mumbai, Maharashtra on 20 August 2024, at the age of 86.
Publications
Books written by Pilot Baba include:
- Kailash Mansarovar
- Pearls of Wisdom
- Discover Secrets of The Himalaya
- Antaryatra' The Inner Journey (2 volumes)
- Pilgrimage from You to Yourself
- Himalayan kah raha hai (2 volumes)
References
- Geeta Pandey (18 January 2007). "The ex-pilot reborn as a guru". BBC News, Allahabad. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ^ "IAF Wing Commander To Spiritual Guru, How Kapil Singh Became Pilot Baba". News18. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ Shearer, Alistair (15 February 2020). The Story of Yoga: From Ancient India to the Modern West. Oxford University Press. pp. 222–223. ISBN 978-1-78738-372-2.
- Shearer, Alistair (10 February 2020). "Fakirs and fakers: How Ashutosh Maharaj and Pilot Baba featured in fraudulent 'yogic' feats". Scroll.in. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- Amitava Sanyal; "Pilot Baba on his mastery of death Archived 30 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine", Hindustan Times, 14 January 2007 (retrieved 29 April 2018)
- Kunal Verma; "Pilot Baba: From air force wing commander to sanyas Archived 30 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine", India Today, 15 February 1984. (retrieved 29 April 2018)
- "Going Underground with Pilot Baba". Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- Uttarakhand: Spiritual guru 'Pilot Baba' who played key role in wars against Pakistan, passes away