For more than half a century, one man has reportedly refused to lower his right arm, enduring years of agony and permanently transforming his body for a promise he has no intention of breaking.
In 1973, Amar Bharati was a 28-year-old married father of three working at a small bank in India when he made a decision that would completely transform his life.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Bharati left behind his family, job and former way of life to become a sadhu, a religious ascetic who renounces worldly desires in pursuit of spiritual devotion.
For Bharati, that meant dedicating himself to Shiva, one of Hinduism’s principal deities, while embracing a life centered on his faith and a desire for world peace.
But walking away from his former life was only the first step in a commitment that would eventually take an extraordinary physical toll.
As an expression of his devotion to advocate for peace, Bharati lifted his right arm above his head and vowed to keep it there.
More than 50 years later, he reportedly still hasn’t lowered it.
Wants the ‘world to live in peace’
What might initially sound like an extreme test of endurance carried a much deeper purpose for Bharati.
His permanently raised arm became both an expression of his religious devotion and a protest against violence and conflict.
“I don’t ask for much. Why do we fight between us, why is there so much hate and enmity between us? I want all Indians to live in peace. I want the whole world to live in peace,” he said, per History of Yesterday.
Keeping his arm there, however, came at an enormous physical cost.
Years of pain
Anyone who has held a hand above their head for even a few minutes knows how quickly discomfort sets in.
For Bharati, there would be no relief from lowering it.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the first two years brought severe pain as he refused to abandon his vow. Eventually, however, something changed.
The pain subsided as Bharati reportedly lost sensation in the limb, while years without normal movement caused the muscles to atrophy – or waste away.
Images of Bharati taken decades later show just how dramatically his right arm has changed, with the skeletal limb fixed above his head and decades of nail growth twisting into long, curling spirals from his fingertips.
Could he ever put it down?
There are conflicting accounts over precisely what would happen if Bharati attempted to lower his arm after keeping it raised for decades.
The Jerusalem Post reported that some believe he is physically incapable of doing so, while others maintain that he could but continues refusing because lowering it would violate the spiritual commitment behind the gesture.
“If you try to lower Bharati’s hand you will cause him real pain, not physical but spiritual, for he believes that his eternal salute does indeed promote world peace,” one source close to the man told the Post.
There may also be serious physical consequences.
Another person cited by the outlet claimed that cartilage in Bharati’s elbow had dried out to the degree that attempting to move the joint could cause it to break.
Whatever the precise medical condition of his arm today, more than 50 years without ordinary movement has clearly taken a devastating toll.
Yet for Bharati, that sacrifice was the entire point.
Others followed his example
Bharati’s extraordinary commitment eventually inspired other sadhus in India to raise their arms as a similar act of devotion and support for world peace, although none have maintained the position as long as he has.
More than 50 years after Bharati first lifted his arm, the gesture that started as an expression of faith and a call for peace has become permanent – both in its message and in the physical toll left on his body.
Before sharing this story, please let us know what you think of this man’s remarkable commitment to advocating peace!
READ MORE
- 911 call audio after Hayden Panettiere was found dead appears to reveal cause of death
- Death Row guard reveals disturbing moment that changed how he saw people – and still haunts him decades later
