He claims to have been born in the 19th century, witnessed the British Raj and the Indian independence, and outlived his great grand-children. Mahashta Murasi, a retired cobbler from northern India, says he is the oldest man on earth and ever lived, with an astonishing age of 179 years.
If his claim is true, he would have smashed the record for the longest verified human lifespan, held by French woman Jeanne Calment, who died aged 122 years and 164 days in 1997. He would also have seen some of the most remarkable events and changes in history, such as the two world wars, the rise of Gandhi and Nehru, and the advent of modern technology.
But what is his secret to his extraordinary longevity and apparent immortality? Murasi has a simple explanation: “Somehow death forgot about me. And now there’s hardly any hope left. Look at the statistics, nobody dies past 150, even less at 170. At that point, I guess I’m immortal or something. I might as well enjoy it!”
Murasi says he has been living in Varanasi since 1903, where he worked as a cobbler until he retired at the ripe age of 122. He says he has no special diet or lifestyle, except for being a vegetarian and living simply. He also says he has no regrets or wishes in life, except for one: “The only thing I wish is that I could meet my great grand-children before I die. They have been dead for years.”
However, his amazing claim has not been verified by any official records or documents. His birth certificates and identity cards are said to confirm his age, but they have not been made public or examined by experts. The only source that supports his claim is a dubious news site called World News Daily Report, which is known for publishing fake news and hoaxes.
According to Snopes.com, a fact-checking website, the story about Murasi is entirely fictitious and was circulated online as if it were true. The website also points out that the photo used to depict Murasi is actually that of an Iranian man named Habib Miyan, who died in 2008 at the claimed age of 138.
Therefore, it is highly unlikely that Murasi is really 179 years old or immortal. He may be just a victim of a prank or a publicity stunt. Or he may be suffering from some form of delusion or memory loss. In any case, his claim should be taken with a grain of salt until more evidence is provided.