A hermit has befriended a family of wild bears in the dense jungles of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Hermit in India is able to call bears to him with Hindu chants
A hermit has befriended a family of wild bears in the dense jungles of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The animals are frequent visitors to the Rajmada Ramvan Ashram of Shahdol district, where they listen to the music of hermit Baba Sitaram, who lives there.
Sitaram, a resident of village Khora Barrack of Jaitpur Tehsil, built his ashram in this rugged forest in 2013 to pray and perform religious music.
He commented: "That day, I was lost in my songs playing my instrument.
When I opened my eyes, I see these bears sitting in front of the ashram, absorbing my hymns," Reportedly the bears, one male and one female, never enter the ashram after the songs are over, allowing them to eat the 'prasad' or food offerings for the gods.
Sitaram added: "I've been here since 2013 and since then the wild bears have been coming to me whenever I sing the Ram Bhajans (devotional songs) with the Ektara and dumroo.
"They never attacked me nor have they ever scared anyone while patiently sitting outside the ashram when Bhajans are sung.
"Every morning and evening, they only leave the place after having the Prasad from my hands.
The bear pair and their two cubs have become an inseparable part of my life.
I've even named the pair as Lali and Lalli and their offspring as Chunnu-Munnu, who always respond to my calls,"