Off to NASA for his place in the sun  
Ramesh Babu
(Thiruvananthapuram, June 28)
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Hira Ratan Manek, aka Hirachand, has not eaten in eight years. He lives on sunlight. But skeptical (and perhaps long-suffering) Indians should read on a bit before going — bah, another scam.
This 64-year-old mechanical engineer has been tried and tested by US space agency NASA. In June 2002, NASA verified his claims when he spent 130 days with its scientists drinking only water. They have even named such subsistence — water and solar energy — the 'HRM (Hira Rattan Manek) phenomenon'.

Now NASA wants him to show them how he does it. They hope to use the technique to solve food storage and preservation problems on space expeditions. So on Friday, Hirachand left for New York.

Hirachand belongs to a Gujarati family that moved to Kerala 120 years ago and eventually set up a textile business.

Hirachand, who lives in Kozhikode, began to have a distaste for food in 1992. In 1995, he took a trip to the Himalayas. When he returned, he had stopped eating completely.

His wife Vimla Hirachand describes the HRM phenomenon: "Every evening he looks at the sun for one-hour without batting an eyelid. It is his main food. Occasionally, he takes coffee, tea, buttermilk or some other liquid."

Hirachand himself says that this eating through the eyes is best done in the evening when the sun's ultra-violet rays are least harmful.

Both explain that what Hirachand does is completely scientific; it's no miracle. "He has a special taste for sun energy. He believes only 5 per cent of human brain cells are used by most people. The other 95 per cent can be activated through solar energy," says Vimla.

When Hirachand returns from the US, he plans to conduct lectures for young scientists. He is also writing a book on the science of the brain.

"Here nobody realised the importance of his findings. He wrote to many organisations. Nobody tried to understand him. But foreigners really admire him," his wife says. Ahem.

Quoted:

This guy doesn't have to eat food; he lives off of solar energy.

I can see the solar penile enlargement ads already.

...coffee, tea, buttermilk or some other liquid...

Quoted:
[b]So he must shit and piss sunshine.[/b]

I know there must be a drill instructor joke here somewhere ?

Quoted:
The most important question is:  Does he poop?  And if so, does it glow in the dark?

Quoted:
"He believes only 5 per cent of human brain cells are used by most people. The other 95 per cent can be activated through solar energy"

Yeah, that's why all of the great civilizations and inventions came from Africa.

Quoted:
Isn't someone going to start up a hero rifle fund for the guy?

Quoted:
Hey, there, Rand McNally; India is in Asia, not Africa.

Quoted:


I believe he was referring to the fact that Africa receives a lot of sunlight, yet isn't exactly a fountain of innovation.