For 20 Years, This Retired Army Man At Prayagraj Survives On Fruits, Without Touching Grains
At nearly 60 years of age, Ranjeet Singh has made a truce with himself to abstain from eating grains to stay healthy and disease-free.
Published : January 9, 2026 at 3:52 PM IST
By Amrish Shukla
Prayagraj : Magh Mela has begun on the banks of the Sangam, where the sight of saints and sages living on fruits is common. But among them is a man who is neither a monk nor a hermit. He is a retired Army havildar who for the last 20 years, has not eaten a single grain of food. All that he sustains with is fruits.
Meet Ranjeet Singh, 59, from Rae Bareli, who retired from the Indian Army in 2005. A year later, on July 10, 2006, he took a vow to survive only on fruits and ever since, rice, wheat and cooked meals have vanished from his plate.
As he observes Kalpavas at the Sangam now during Magh Mela at Prayagraj Sangam, Singh says his fruit-based lifestyle has kept him disease-free.
Ranjeet says the idea of giving up regular food came during his visits to temples, monasteries and spiritual centres when he met several saints who lived only on fruits. “A saint once told me that such discipline is possible only for sages, not householders. That challenged me and I vowed before Bajrangbali and said, ‘My honour is in your hands.’ From that day, I stopped eating grains,” Singh recalls.
What began as a spiritual experiment became his way of life. The discipline he learnt in the Army further helped him maintain restraint, Singh believes. “Initially, it was difficult. But my body accepted it naturally. Today, I feel energetic, work, manage household duties and stay mentally calm,” he says with a firm belief that excessive food and stress are the main causes of lifestyle diseases.
“Research also shows that people who eat less live longer,” he adds.
During Kalpavas, Singh follows a strict regime. He wakes up at Brahmamuhurta, bathes at the Sangam and then begins his meditation and light exercise. As his regular diet, he eats fruits at fixed times and rests in the evening.
“Routine matters more than food,” he says.
Singh consumes only seasonal and local fruits like apples, bananas, papaya, guava, coconut besides peanuts, almonds, raisins, walnuts, dates and pistachios. Some dry fruits he soaks for easier digestion.
“The simpler the food, the better the body's metabolism,” he says.
His wife, Uttara Singh, adds that Ranjeet also eats makhana, peanuts, and buckwheat-based foods. He enjoys kheer made from makhana and dry fruits. “When we attend weddings, he drinks water and returns. Everyone respects it as he is known as a fruitarian,” she smiles.
Professor Neelam Yadav, Head of Food Technology at Allahabad University, explains that the human body needs carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscles, fats for cells, vitamins, minerals and fibre. “Fruits provide fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Dry fruits provide healthy fats and some protein,” she explains. However, she cautions that such a diet is not suitable for everyone and should depend on age, health, and occupation.
While Singh’s lifestyle may not suit all, his strict diet speaks the power of discipline, simplicity, and routine. At nearly 60, he is free from diabetes, hypertension and major illnesses. Ranjeet Singh continues to live lightly, proving that sometimes, less can be sufficient if not more.
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