Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
PM Modi says fasting sharpens the senses so intensely that he can “smell water” and detect the aroma of tea or flowers with new clarity.
He describes a burst of mental sharpness during fasts — ideas come quicker, thoughts feel fresher, and “out-of-the-box” thinking flows naturally.
For nine days during Navratri, Modi consumes only hot water. He believes this practice not only sustains him spiritually but also rewires his daily rhythm.
A lifelong habit of drinking only hot water has, he says, made his lifestyle seamlessly adapt to his fasting regimens.
In Chaitra Navratri, his discipline takes another form: nine days of eating just one fruit, once a day. “If I choose papaya, then it’s only papaya,” he explained.
For four months between mid-June and Diwali, PM Modi eats just once every 24 hours, keeping alive an ancient Indian tradition of restraint.
To him, fasting is not deprivation but discovery — a chance to unlock hidden sensory and mental layers usually dulled by routine eating.
By invoking Chaturmas and seasonal fasts, PM Modi links his personal discipline to centuries-old Indian traditions of austerity and spiritual renewal.
He admitted, “I don’t know about others, but this is my experience,” grounding his fasting philosophy in personal exploration rather than universal prescription.