A Standing Baba, or Khareshwari, is a Hindu who has vowed to stand, not sitting or lying down even to sleep. The vow is a form of Hindu Tapa (or Tapasas), a self-inflicted corporal punishment intended to help bring spiritual enlightenment. Khareshwari are primarily found in India, but are not limited to that country.

The length of the vow is unclear from available references. One source says that the vow lasts for twelve years. Other sources do not attach a specific time frame.

Khareshwari traditionally stood under a tree. This may be connected to the Yoga position known as Vrikasana, the Tree Position. A seventeenth-century engraving shows some images of what may be Standing Baba.

More recently Khareshwari seem to stand inside. Author Gregory David Roberts places Babas inside in his description of Khareshwari in the novel Shantaram. Additionally, two online photos of Khareshwari both show men inside, not under a tree.

The Standing Baba have a swing-like device that allows them to rest their arms during the day. During the night, a Khareshwari will support his torso on the swing as he sleeps. The swing usually has a sling beneath it. The sling can hold one of the Khareshwari's legs at a time. It is unclear if this is intended to rest one leg or to increase the pressure on the other leg. While Khareshwaris may walk about, they usually just stand/hang in their swing.

Śri Sathya Sai Baba (born as Sathyanarayana Raju (23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011) was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, considered a spiritual saint and a reputed miracle worker, who died in 1918 and whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs. The materializations of vibhuti (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches by Sathya Sai Baba were a source of both fame and controversy; devotees considered them signs of divinity, while skeptics viewed them as simple conjuring tricks. Photos of him are displayed in millions of homes and on the dashboards of cars, and lockets bearing his photo are worn by many as a symbol of good fortune.

Almost everything known about Sathya Sai Baba's early life stems from the hagiography that grew around him, the presentation of narratives that hold special meaning to his devotees and are considered by them evidence of his divine nature. According to his followers, then, Sathyanarayana Raju was born to Easwaramma and Peddavenkama Raju Ratnakaram in the village of Puttaparthi, in what was the Madras Presidency of British India. His birth, which his mother Eswaramma asserted was by miraculous conception, was also said to be heralded by miracles. His siblings included elder brother Ratnam Sesham Raju (1921–1984), sister Venkamma (1923–1993), a second sister Parvathamma (1928–1998), and younger brother Janakiramiah (1930–2003). As a child, he was described as "unusually intelligent" and charitable, though not an exceptional student, as his interests were more of a spiritual nature. He was uncommonly talented in devotional music, dance and drama, and an avid composer of poems and plays. He was said to be capable of materialising objects such as food and sweets out of thin air.