Credit: Alamy
Man Who’s Held His Arm Up For 50 Years Explains Why He’s Been Doing It
A man has revealed why he has held his arm up in the air for 50 years.
Amar Bharati, who is in his seventies, claims he has not put his arm down for five decades.
He began this painful endeavor in 1973. Before that, he was leading an ordinary life working at a local bank, and was married with three children.
For Bharati, he began to believe there was more to life and wanted to discover a deeper understanding.
So he went to extreme lengths to change his way of life.
Bharati is now an Indian Sadhu or ascetic, which means he practices self-denial or abstinence from worldly pleasures.
To live the holiest existence, he abandoned his wife and children to pave his new spiritual journey.
His life is now dedicated to Shiva, one of the three main Hindu gods.
Hindus believe Shiva’s powers of destruction and recreation are still in use today, to remove the world‘s imperfections and illusions, as per the BBC.
In Hinduism, the universe is thought to regenerate in cycles, every 2,160,000,000 years.
Shiva is believed to destroy the universe at the end of each cycle, which allows for a new creation, as per the World History Encyclopaedia.
After leaving his comfortable life behind, Bharati set out on a journey walking the roads of India wearing his orange sadhu clothing and only carrying one possession, a trishula – a mental trident or spear with three metal points, and is the favorite weapon of Shiva.
The three points represent the three aspects of god: creation, protection, and destruction, as per the Province of Manitoba.
Bharati wanted to connect himself with Shiva even more, so he chose to raise his arm to honor the god, but this would not be the only reason behind his 50-year-old decision.
Not only did he take an oath to live this life dedicated to Shiva, but he also decided to raise his limb as a ‘militate against wars and support world peace,’ according to the Greek Reporter.
In an interview with the History of Yesterday, the sadhu said: “I do not ask for much. Why are we fighting our sons among ourselves? Why is there so much hatred and enmity between us?
“I just want all Indians and the whole world to live in peace with each other.”
Bharati’s story has been shared worldwide, and his dedication to his religion has been seen across social media.
For most people, holding their arm in the air for more than a couple of minutes can cause rather uncomfortable pain, but Bharati is so committed to Shiva he has braved the severe aches.
It reportedly took around two years for the pain in his arm to subside, but through his determination, he was able to keep it up.
Due to his arm being up for so long, he has now lost all motion, sensation, and use of the limb; his muscles have withered away, and his arm is now half the size of his healthy left one.
Having his arm upright for so many years has meant Bharati has no blood flow to it, meaning the damage to his arm is irreversible, and he would not be able to put his arm back down even if he wanted to.
The cartilage in his bones would be so fragile now that if his arm were to be put back down, it would likely snap off.
His fingers and hands are also closed permanently shut, curled up to his palm, and his fingernails have grown so much that they now spiral down his wrist.
Bharati is still alive and continues to raise his arm in pursuit of peace.
Related Article: World’s Most Endangered Language Has Only One Person Left Alive Who Can Speak It
Related Article: Chilling Final Photo Of Man Trying To Visit Indigenous Tribe On ‘No-Go’ Island
Want more stuff like this?
Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox!
