DUBAI: Immigration officers at the Abu Dhabi International Airport were shocked after an Indian man’s passport claimed he was born in 1896 – making him the oldest man alive at 124 years old.
Swami Sivananda was travelling to London through Etihad Airways when he landed in Abu Dhabi for a layover. His passport indicated he was born in the city of Kolkata in the West Bengal state of India on Aug. 8, 1896 – seven years before the birth date of the oldest known living person by the Guinness World Records.
(AFP)
A video and some pictures of Sivananda quickly circulated on social media, prompting people to doubt the validity of his passport’s claim. One said his features “make him look between 85 and 90 years old.
1896 Born 124 year old Swami Sivananda fitness stuns people of Abu Dhabi when he arrived at the International Airport from Varanasi, India pic.twitter.com/Bh2iXe6PFF
— Rosy (@rose_k01) October 7, 2019
In an interview with UAE daily Gulf News, Sivananda said that his long life was due to “yoga and celibacy.”
India’s passport authorities later confirmed Sivananda’s age from a temple register.
