Bharati worked as a
clerk in
New Delhi until he quit his job and left his family and friends in 1970 in order to develop his devotion to
Shiva, one of the
principal deities of
Hinduism. After quitting his job, he felt like he was still connected to his old life and raised his arm starting in 1973 as a sign of his devotion and "to militate against wars and support world peace". He spent two years of his life in severe pain by doing this, but later lost all sensation in his arm. The muscles in his arm
atrophied during this time. Many of his followers have taken inspiration from his actions, calling it a "beacon of hope" and even raising their own arms for years. There is a fakir in the novel
The Mystery of the Black Jungle by
Emilio Salgari who does the same practice. == References ==