Kuda Bux
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Kuda Bux | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 17 February 1905 |
| Died | 5 February 1981 (aged 75) |
| Occupation | Magician |
Kuda Bux (17 February 1905 – 5 February 1981), born Khudah Bukhsh, was a Pakistani mystic, magician and fire walker.[1]
Performances
Blindfolds
In one of his most famous performances he would cover his eyes with soft dough balls, blindfold himself, swath his entire head in strips of cloth, and yet still be able to see. Bux was the star of a 1950 TV series titled Kuda Bux, Hindu Mystic, and his apparent ability to see while blindfolded with dough balls strongly influenced British author Roald Dahl in his short story of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, a man who was taught to develop the same powers. Observers noted that the unblindfolded Bux required reading glasses to read fine print. While blindfolded he would read the dates on coins which were held in a spectator's hand, read the fine print of a magazine, thread a needle, duplicate words he had never seen written, shoot a can on a child's head with a pellet gun, and many other tricks. [citation needed]
Fire Walking
According to Robert Ripley, Bux performed an astonishing feat in NBC Radio City Studios in Manhattan on 2 August 1938. According to this account, a hole 3 feet deep was dug in the Radio City parking lot and logs and bags of charcoal were set on fire in it. Bux allegedly walked back and forth through the pit—twice. Ripley said, "Kuda Bux's feet were not even warm." There is newsreel footage of this event in the TV biography (distributed on VHS) Robert Ripley: Believe It or Not (TBS 1993). [citation needed]
In 1935 Bux demonstrated fire walking in front of an audience of scientists from the University of London Council for Psychical Research and news reporters.[2] He walked across a twelve foot pit of burning hot coals unscathed. Bux's feet were checked before and after the fire walking demonstration to verify that no protective chemicals, topical creams or herbs were used. It was a very windy day and the surface temperature of the fire was read at 806 degrees Fahrenheit. The body of the fire was measured at 2,552 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to melt steel. After Bux walked through the coals, a cameraman who had messed up some photographs of the event asked for a retake. Bux obliged by repeating the fire walk. Again, his feet were checked before and after the fire walking demonstration.
Bux's fire-walking ability amazed western audiences in the 1930s. Harry Price suggested that the feat was performed by specific placement of the feet. However, the mentalist Joseph Dunninger gave a more logical explanation. He pointed out that charcoal cooled down rapidly and by walking quickly on it, one could avoid being burned.[3]
Personal life
Khudah Bukhsh was born in Akhnur, Kashmir in 1905. His father worked as a railway ticket inspector. When he was thirteen, he set out to learn magic from Professor Moor, a famous magician at the time. He eventually meets Banerjee, another magician who taught him fire walking. In his later life, he lost his eyesight to glaucoma. He was also known as DareDevil or The Man Who Can See Without His Eyes. He died in 1981 in his sleep, aged 75.[4]
References
- ^ "The Man With X-Ray Eyes-Kuda Bux". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ Melton, J. Gordon. (2013). The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena. Visible Ink. p. 111. ISBN 1-57859-209-7
- ^ Samuel, Lawrence R. (2011). Supernatural America: A Cultural History. ABC-CLIO. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-313-39899-5
- ^ Kuda Bux at IMDb