Shivapur is a small Indian village about 24 kilometres from Pune in the state of Maharashtra. In this village, a phenomenon is enacted from time
to time that utterly baffles scientists. There is a certain stone in this village that is related to a tale about a Muslim Sufi saint known as Qamar Ali who
lived in this village approximately 6 centuries ago. The story goes that Qamar Ali was born into a family of middle-class Muslims whose men prided themselves
on their muscular prowess. Qamar Ali, unlike his aggressive older brothers, was introspective and gentle. When he was scarcely six, he became a disciple of a
Sufi Pir (great teacher) who lived nearby and spent his days in meditation and fasting. Before long, throngs of devotees began to flock to his doorstep drawn
by the young Sufi mystic's compassion and miraculous powers of healing. Qamar Ali died in his late teens but as he lay on his deathbed, he requested that a
circular stone weighing 200 pounds be placed near his tomb. According to the legend, he said: "If eleven men place their right index fingers under the
stone and then jointly call my name, I will cause it to rise higher than their heads. Otherwise, neither singly nor together will they be able to move it more
than two feet off the ground. Let it be a symbol," he said to his brothers, "a reminder of my message that spiritual power is greater than brute
strength. As Allah the Merciful has loved you, so should you love all men of every caste and creed. For we are all brothers on the same journey. Think of this
when you call my name and raise the stone."
Although Qamar Ali was born as a Muslim, apparently the 11 participants required to lift the heavy stone above the ground do not have to profess adherence to any particular faith - Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, agnostics, atheists etc. are all welcome to participate in the lifting of the stone. However, for reasons I am unaware of, females cannot participate as the stone will not then rise into the air. Both men and women are free to attempt to lift the stone by hand, but the stone is so heavy that no-one who has attempted to lift it above the ground by hand alone has been successful.
![[image]](http://www.margaretdeefholts.com/images/levitatingstone6.jpg)
As soon as 11 men stoop, place the index fingers of their right hands under the rim of the rock, count to three (this is optional) and then utter "Qamar Ali Darvesh!" the stone, like a living thing, floats up in the air, a foot above their heads. The men then scatter frantically as it falls to the ground with an enormous thud several seconds after it has floated in the air.
![[image]](http://www.margaretdeefholts.com/images/levitatingstone1.jpg)
![[image]](http://www.margaretdeefholts.com/images/levitatingstone4.jpg)
The participants in this activity are randomly selected, so the process does not appear to be rigged. Also, this activity has occurred frequently in Shivapura for many decades now and researchers are still unable to explain how the event occurs. Lamasery monks in Tibet have been known to levitate a massive rock at the entrance of a cave, in response to a particular volume, pitch and vibration of drums and horns. Does sonic resonance force the Shivapur stone to rise? If so, a series of similar words uttered at the same pitch and volume as "Qamar Ali Darvesh" should bring about an identical result. It doesn't. What do you think's going on?
Although Qamar Ali was born as a Muslim, apparently the 11 participants required to lift the heavy stone above the ground do not have to profess adherence to any particular faith - Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, agnostics, atheists etc. are all welcome to participate in the lifting of the stone. However, for reasons I am unaware of, females cannot participate as the stone will not then rise into the air. Both men and women are free to attempt to lift the stone by hand, but the stone is so heavy that no-one who has attempted to lift it above the ground by hand alone has been successful.
As soon as 11 men stoop, place the index fingers of their right hands under the rim of the rock, count to three (this is optional) and then utter "Qamar Ali Darvesh!" the stone, like a living thing, floats up in the air, a foot above their heads. The men then scatter frantically as it falls to the ground with an enormous thud several seconds after it has floated in the air.
The participants in this activity are randomly selected, so the process does not appear to be rigged. Also, this activity has occurred frequently in Shivapura for many decades now and researchers are still unable to explain how the event occurs. Lamasery monks in Tibet have been known to levitate a massive rock at the entrance of a cave, in response to a particular volume, pitch and vibration of drums and horns. Does sonic resonance force the Shivapur stone to rise? If so, a series of similar words uttered at the same pitch and volume as "Qamar Ali Darvesh" should bring about an identical result. It doesn't. What do you think's going on?
