Prayagraj: A peculiar ascetic who is known as “Chai Wale Baba” has marked the centre of attraction at the yogi congregation of Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Dinesh Swaroop Brahmachari, a resident of Chitrakoot Dham, has been living on tea for the last 41 years while keeping up a vow of silence.
Brahmachari is not only an extraordinary sage but also dedicated to teaching aspiring public servants. Although he won’t speak, Brahmachari still teaches students preparing for various competitive exams, including the IAS.
Formerly, he taught English and mathematics, but now Brahmachari’s students communicate with him through writing and mobile phone SMS. They said that his left-handed writing is like normal speech, and he also types on mobile devices without any difficulty. He writes handwritten notes on various subjects, which he gives to students as photocopies or in digital form.
Brahmachari wrote saying, “Many of my disciples have cleared the tests and have become officers,” when asked about his teaching impact. Currently, he has about a dozen students at Kumbh Mela who have come there to learn from him.
Regarding his unique tea-only meal plan, Brahmachari remarks that all essential nutrients come from milk, and tea made from it is like a dish for his body. Unlike other saints who have been for a bath in the holy river, Brahmachari is unaffected, as he claims to have dipped daily in the “Ganga of knowledge.”
His guru, Swami Brahma Swaroop Brahmachari, links his disciple to this unconventional lifestyle of Hatha Yoga. “Dinesh has distinct characteristics that have put him in the spotlight among the priests at Maha Kumbh,” Brahmachari said.
Although millions posit at the gathering, the silent sage radiates the spark of knowledge and spiritual enlightenment that seekers and aspirants imbibe through his ascetic and academic mentorship.