Indians hold their hands above their heads until they atrophy (5 photos) photo)

For over 14 years, an Indian sadhu monk has been holding his hand upright as a sign of respect for his god. They say sadhus sleep vertically, so he doesn't even sleep on his side.





He's been holding his hand up for 14 years, and he can't straighten it anymore.

But he's not the only Indian like him. Every ten years, another such monk emerges, ready for a test of faith. The longest record is 50 years. A renounced monk from India named Mahant Radheypuri Juna Akhara has held his hand high above his head for 14 years straight. He's been filmed several times and even given interviews asking why he does this.



Um, is this a fig?

He says he wants to be noticed. Not by people, but by the deity he worships. He had nothing special, so he simply raised his hand, like you might in class to get the teacher's attention, and never lowered it again. He can no longer feel his hand. Another record-breaker in the "notice me, God" sport, captured on video, was sadhu Amare Bharati. He's been holding his right hand above his head for almost 50 years now, just like in class. He first raised it in 1973.





Those black things on his hand are uncut nails.

Over many decades, he has become a symbol for Shiva devotees across India. He's been holding his hand raised for over half a century. Yet, before, he was an ordinary, well-off man with a wife and three children. It was only one morning that he had a revelation: everything in this world is vanity, and that the greater thing in life is Shiva. He left his family and wandered through holy places, but nothing brought him enlightenment. Only after three years did he conceive of raising his hand. He raised his hand also to renounce worldly things, to force himself to focus only on his hand.

What happens to your hand if you hold it above your head for 10 years?



His fingers also froze in a fist forever.

Both Hindus say that everything is fine now, but the first few years were the most excruciating. This not only means giving up the functionality of an important body part, but also means constantly struggling with severe pain. It was difficult to hold the hand up high, and the muscles gradually atrophied. But eventually, the hand goes numb in a motionless position and becomes like wood, impossible to bend. You can even prick it with a needle, like a yogi, and the monk won't feel a thing. Both of them plan to hold their hand like this for the rest of their lives. Everyone should have such stable plans for old age.



Renounce everything worldly and smoke a pipe while doing so? I don't really understand this religion.

These two monks have their followers. Amar Bharati had several, as he is older. Some of his students managed to hold their hand like this for 20, even 30 years, they say. This is certainly a victory of the human spirit over the mortal body. But I'm not sure Shiva cares. Do you think the deity noticed?