Stories of Extreme Devotion and Gestures Beyond the Limit
In our shared imagination, raising an arm is a momentary act – to answer a question or offer a greeting. And yet, in certain exceptional cases, some have chosen to keep an arm raised not for seconds, but for years, transforming a simple physical gesture into a powerful spiritual symbol. This article recounts true stories of people who, through religious devotion, symbolic protest, or personal discipline, have lived for years with an arm permanently lifted.
Amar Bharati: Half a Century with an Arm Raised for Shiva and World Peace
The most well-known story is that of Amar Bharati, a former bank clerk from New Delhi who became a sadhu (ascetic) in the 1970s. In 1973, Amar left behind his ordinary life – job, family, material possessions – and raised his right arm in honor of the Hindu god Shiva, devoting himself fully to spirituality and peace. Since then, he has never lowered that arm. “I only want everyone to live in peace,” Amar explained.
Today, his arm, rigid and immobile, remains raised as a warning and a prayer. The fingernails of his hand, untouched for decades, have thickened and curled inward, forming giduglic spirals. His figure has become iconic at religious gatherings and within Indian popular culture. Some venerate him, others simply observe. His gesture has also inspired other sadhus who have chosen to follow his example in various parts of India.
Mahant Radheypuri: A Decade with His Arm Raised to Catch the Gods’ Attention
Another case is that of Mahant Radheypuri of the Juna Akhara, who has lived for over ten years with his right arm raised above his head. He does it as a personal sacrifice, an offering to honor the divine and attract its gaze. In videos where he appears, he calmly explains his daily practice, made of discipline and renunciation. He has become a recognizable figure among pilgrims and devotees.
The early years were not without suffering. Radheypuri, like ascetics before him, described enduring a long period of searing pain in his arm – constant cramps and sharp stabs. Only after much time did the pain subside, becoming a stable condition no longer felt. At that point, the limb became part of his offering: useless but sacred, rigid yet eloquent.
His story spread online. As often happens, amidst emojis and shares, a narrative emerged somewhere between the surreal and the ritualistic. The insistence on holding an unused limb stretched skyward becomes a silent yet very visible offering.
Mahant Someshwar Giri: 15 Years of Asceticism with His Arm Raised
Among the younger ascetics is Mahant Someshwar Giri, who began his spiritual path at age 20. He has kept his arm raised for over 15 years as an act of austerity and spiritual focus. He does not do it in protest or to gain divine favor, but as a personal discipline – a means of strengthening his will and aligning with divine energy.
Someshwar travels across India on foot with a stray dog as companion, becoming a familiar presence in pilgrimage sites. His calm face, paired with the stillness of his arm, may say little, but it affirms much. His path is discreet, yet clearly marked.
The Cultural Meaning of the Raised Arm
In the Hindu context, such acts fall within the practices of tapasya: voluntary austerities aimed at bringing a person closer to the divine. A raised arm is one of the most visible, and also one of the least common. The gesture becomes a permanent statement – toward the gods, toward oneself, toward society. It is a form of continuous prayer, with the body itself as offering.
Hindu culture, with its endless variety of rites and spiritual paths, does not exclude these extreme practices. It observes them. Asceticism is no spectacle – it is an interior act manifesting through the body, until it becomes a sign.
The Gesture, the Rule, the Peace
Keeping an arm raised for fifty years is, strangely, not front-page news. And yet it happens. Some do it out of faith, others out of discipline, and others still – perhaps – to feel part of something greater. They do not seek attention. They offer constancy.
Exceptions, after all, rarely make headlines. They do not attract interest. The media – like everyday storytelling – prefers what repeats: the rule, the habit, the daily drama. True exceptions tend to be ignored. Perhaps because they’re harder to explain, or perhaps because they don’t make for a good headline. Strangely – or maybe not – what escapes repetition also escapes interest.
In Amar Bharati’s case, the motivation is stated: peace in the world. His arm is not meant to shake anyone. It is not meant to change the course of history. It is simply there. Lifted. For fifty years.
The question, if anything, is implicit. How much peace are we willing to carry – quietly – into our everyday lives? Even without raising an arm, some manage to do it. But sure enough, keeping it up works: it gets noticed. While the world goes to war.
