By Patricia Uyeh

Hindu Monk, Swami Sivananda is 120-year-old virgin. He attributed his longevity to abstaining from sex his whole life. He is currently applying to Guinness World Records to verify his claim that he is the oldest man to have ever lived. This position is currently held by Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who died in June 2013 aged 116 years and 54 days.

According to his passport, Sivananda was born on August 8, 1896. India’s passport authorities confirmed his age from a temple register, the only record many Indians even decades younger have of their date of birth.

Sivananda was featured by local media earlier this summer, with the Times of India noting he looked 50 years younger than his apparent age but taking his claims at face value. He is from the holy city of Varanasi, grew up in extreme poverty and chose to become a monk, saying he owed his age to ”yoga, discipline, and celibacy”.

He was quoted saying:
”I lead a simple and disciplined life. …I eat very simply – only boiled food without oil or spices, rice and boiled daal (lentil stew) with a couple of green chillies,”

He continued:
”I avoid taking milk or fruits because I think these are fancy foods.”