From the Archives (October 29 1971): Lady fasts for 111 days

Bangalore, Oct. 28: A 59-year-old mother of six children, Mrs. Dhapubhai Golecha, ended a fast that lasted 111 days here on Tuesday. There was a stream of visitors at Mrs. Golecha’s house in Rangaswami Temple Street to have her “darshan”. This was Mrs. Golecha’s fourth fast lasting more than 50 days. She fasted for 51 days in 1963, for 61 days in 1968 and for 91 days in 1969. Mrs. Golecha was overcome by fatigue when she ended her fast and became unconscious. Her weight had come down from 155 pounds to 105. She is now recovering in a private nursing home here. She undertook the fast, it is said, as her ‘agony’ became acute after hearing the plight of Bangla Desh refugees. Seventy-five days after she began her fast, Mrs. Golecha went on a pilgrimage to Jaipur and other places for 20 days. During the fast she drank water only three or four times a day. On October 22, Mrs. Golecha was taken in a procession in a coach drawn by two horses to the Lal Bagh, where a reception was held by the Sri Vardhaman Sthanakvasi Jain Sravak Sangh. Over 10,000 people attended the reception.