Timeless Devotion: Indian Monk Keeps Arm Raised for 51 Years

The world has seen many examples of spirituality making people go to extremes to get inner peace. Indian monk, Amar Bharati, shines as a bright example for individuals who seek to become one with god, History Defined reported.

He gave up all his worldly possessions and decided to walk a hard path full of challenges. Amidst his spiritual awakening, he took a call to spread god's message across the world, surprising everyone. 

In 1973, Bharati decided to raise his hand to take a stand against war, and to this date has not brought it down, History Defined reported. He explained, "I am not asking for much. I always wonder why we have to fight, to compete with each other, to have so much hatred. I want everyone in the world to live in peace."

The man also believes that his resolution is bringing him close to Lord Shiva, his deity. According to his thought process, devotion to the principle of non-violence and peace is keeping him in tandem with god. 

The path has not been easy for Bharati by any means. After the first few days, his hand and shoulder started giving him immense pain but he persevered. Over the next two years, the situation became bearable since he lost feeling in his arms. Experts noted that atrophy had begun in his arm. 

Atrophy is a body process that results in the wasting or thinning of muscle mass, Cleveland Clinic reported. 

Experts believe that Bharati's hand has become useless as it is stuck in a semi-vertical position, History Defined reported. The monk believes that it is physically impossible for him to put his hand down. Bharati says that his spiritual beliefs are attached to this raised hand, and if he brings it down his devotion will also come crashing down. 

Experts who have checked the arm think that if the body part is brought down, it is likely to sunder at the joint, which could result in a fracture, History Defined reported. They also noted that the cartilage around the arm has dried up making the pursuit of bringing it down even more challenging. 

It has been 53 years, and Bharti has adjusted to his unique situation and does all his daily activities with one hand.