Mohan Das, more commonly known as Lotan Baba (or "rolling saint") (ca. 1950 – September 2022) washttps://hindi.news18.com/news/madhya-pradesh/ratlam-world-famous-lotan-baba-passed-away-guinness-world-record-holder-know-interesting-story-of-rolling-saint-4623735.html an Indian holy man promoting peace by rolling his body along the ground when he travels. He claimed to have covered to various cities in India, including (the disputed territory of Kashmir), first setting off from his hometown

Ratlam Ratlam, known historically as Ratnapuri (lit. ''gem city''), is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of Ratlam di ...

, in

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital city, capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar, and Rewa, India, Rewa being the othe ...

. Witnesses report Mohan travelled on average roughly 10 to 12 kilometres (six to eight miles) a day rolling on the ground, at times smoking a cigarette while in motion. Media reports indicate Mohan Das began his life as a mystic after leaving home at age 12, and once undertook

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of repentance for sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. It also plays a pa ...

for 7 years by standing in one place and eating grass. Mohan Das gained media attention in 2004 in his attempts to cross the border between

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and India. Officials of the Border Security Force and immigration department near

Wagah Wagah ( ur, ) or Wagha (Shahmukhi pnb, ) is a village and union council (UC 181) located in the Wahga Zone near Lahore City District, Pakistan. The town is famous for the Wagah border ceremony and also serves as a goods transit terminal an ...

insisted he will need to acquire a

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the perso ...

and

visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

in order to continue his journey, of which he has neither. ''"I am not a politician who requires a passport or visa to visit another country. The government should understand that and give me permission,"'' he said. Lotan Baba stated his intentions were to visit the

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ' ...

shrine of

Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib () is a city and capital of Nankana Sahib District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, who was born in the city and first began preaching here. Nankana Sahib is the mos ...

, the birthplace of the first Sikh

Guru Nanak Dev Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverent ...

, and other religious places in Pakistan. He held a

Guinness record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for longest rolling at about .

References

www.hindustantimes.com article entitled: ''"Rolling" saint blocked at Pakistani border''
(in Hindi) {{DEFAULTSORT:Baba, Lotan Indian Hindu saints Living people People from Madhya Pradesh People from Ratlam Year of birth missing (living people)