india

Updated: Apr 25, 2020 16:20 IST

Ladislas Lucas (28), a French national, who styled himself as Muni Om Baba and was living like an ascetic in Rishikesh for the past one year, spent his time in a cave near the Ganges meditating, cooking and mingling with other foreigners during the nationwide lockdown enforced since March 25 to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

His serene existence in a cave came to an abrupt end when Laksman Jhula police found him on April 18 along with five other foreigners. Lucas, who was earlier living in an adjoining forest, shifted to the cave a day before the lockdown came into effect on March 25, the police said.

Lucas and the other five foreigners, including a couple from Ukraine, an American, a Turkish and a Nepalese national, have been shifted to a quarantine facility after undergoing a medical examination as a precautionary measure against Covid-19, the police added.

Lucas has been at peace in Rishikesh and considers the Hindu sage Ramana Maharshi as his guru. “I’m familiar with the surroundings, as I have been living here for the past one year. I’ve adopted the life of an ascetic in my quest for serenity and soul-searching,” Lucas told HT over the phone.

“When the police found us, I was living with a Nepali baba in the cave, who had returned from Kedarnath a few days ago. The other foreigners were living in the vicinity. We used to spend our time together,” he said.

Lucas said even during the lockdown, he used to visit Lakshman Jhula daily along with the other foreigners to buy groceries, as most of the shops have been open. “We used firewood to cook our meals in between doing meditation, yoga, and occasional writing,” he added.

The French national claimed he did little work back home and has been on the move for the past five years. He visited several countries, including New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, and Morocco before coming to India.

“In India, I made Rishikesh my base. I have also visited Almora, Jammu & Kashmir, and Dharamshala. I would’ve visited other parts of the country, had it not been for Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

He is open about his future plans. “Now, I’ve chosen to live like an ascetic. It all depends on God and what he wants me to do. I’m yet to make any plans for myself,” he added.

For Coronavirus Live Updates

Uttarakhand authorities said that around 600 foreigners were stranded in Rishikesh because of the lockdown. The state health department officials are regularly screening the foreigners for SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, they added.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19