Most of us can’t go a day without complaining about a stiff back or sore feet. And then there are people like Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj, who choose to stand for years as part of his spiritual journey.
Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj is a Hindu ascetic who has reportedly spent years standing in devotion to the Hindu deity Shiva.
After videos of the sage left viewers baffled and utterly confused, an expert explained the philosophy behind such extreme acts.
Highlights
- Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj has reportedly spent years standing in devotion to the Hindu deity Shiva.
- He has reportedly been standing for five years and is required to remain standing, without sitting or lying down, for 12 years.
- An expert explained the philosophy behind rejected worldly comforts and enduring such extreme acts.
- “The goal of ascetic practices in general is to overcome physical pain, rather than to endure it. What is the difference?” said Dr. Lyone Fein.
Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj has reportedly spent years standing in devotion to the Hindu deity Shiva
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Graphic warning: This article contains close-up images of a potential medical condition. Viewer’s discretion is advised.
As part of his spiritual vow, Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj reportedly undertook a ritual known as Khade Shri Tapasya, an extreme form of ascetic practice in Hinduism where a devotee vows to remain standing as an act of spiritual discipline.
The practice is rooted in the idea of detaching from the body.
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Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj has reportedly been standing for five years and is required to remain standing, without sitting or lying down, for 12 years as part of Khade Shri Tapasya.
It is believed he abandoned his college education, rejected worldly comforts, and dedicated himself to the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
He reportedly hopes to experience a spiritual vision of Lord Shiva and believes the penance and sacrifice could bring him closer to the deity.
He abandoned his college education, rejected worldly comforts, and dedicated himself to the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment
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Photos and videos captured the ascetic resting on a hanging device, with his legs appearing severely swollen and darkened due to years of nonstop standing.
The sheer extremity of his actions left people concerned, saying, “Don’t understand religious zealotry to the point where you’re actively harming yourself for a God.”
“He’s going to be super disappointed to find out he did all of this for nothing,” read another comment.
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While many assume his goal is to endure unimaginable pain, experts say that’s not quite accurate.
The aim of such ascetic practices is not to suffer, but to move beyond suffering altogether.
In the ordinary ebb and flow of life, we tend to be deeply tied to our physical existence. Pain feels personal, and sickness or medical conditions can feel like they define us.
The aim of such ascetic practices is not to suffer, but to move beyond suffering altogether
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Most people see themselves as inseparable from their bodies, so naturally, there is fear around injury, aging, and passing away.
The philosophy behind Khade Shri Tapasya is to detach oneself from the body, seeing it as temporary. The true self, known as Atman or the “soul,” is eternal.
“The goal of ascetic practices in general is to overcome physical pain, rather than to endure it. What is the difference?” Dr. Lyone Fein, a retired Religious Studies professor, told Bored Panda.
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“Most of us in the modern world have a materialistic understanding of reality and of what it means to be human,” she continued.
“This means that when feel physical pain, we believe/experience our very selves as being injured. We fully identify with our body, and so we fear injury, illness, pain, and death. We believe that we are our bodies and only our bodies, and so we are very attached to them.”
“But individuals like this Hindu ascetic strive to overcome this belief system, along with the fears and attachments that result from it,” she added.
These practices are often inspired by Lord Shiva, the ultimate symbol of detachment, discipline, and transcendence
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These practices are often inspired by Lord Shiva, a central figure in Hindu mythology, seen as the ultimate symbol of detachment, discipline, and transcendence.
Shiva is someone believed to have gone beyond the limitations of the body altogether, so ascetics try to model their lives on him.
“The goal [of such practices] is less to please the deity Shiva than it is to emulate him,” Fein explained. “In Hindu mythology, Shiva is recognized as the ultimate ascetic, the great transcender who overcame all of his worldly attachments and sufferings.”
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But according to Hindu belief, this isn’t a journey that’s expected to be completed overnight or even within one lifetime.
For ordinary humans attempting to reach the ultimate form of transcendence, the answer lies in looking beyond just one lifetime, as per the beliefs.
“In mythology, it took Shiva thousands of years to accomplish this. So, it is unlikely that any human could rise to his level within one lifetime. Hindus believe in reincarnation, however,” Fein said.
As per Hindu belief, this isn’t a journey that’s expected to be completed overnight or even a lifetime
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In Hindu philosophy, life unfolds as a continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, with the soul carrying its experiences forward each time.
“So a person, such as this individual who has been standing for 5-12 years, can accumulate spiritual experience and accomplishments over the course of several lifetimes,” she added.
The ultimate goal of this process is moksha or liberation, and an individual moves closer to this point by breaking free from attachment to the body and the material world with each lifetime.
At the point of liberation, the soul is no longer bound to this cycle of reincarnation, having fully realized its true, untouchable nature.
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As for Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj, “If his inner self continues on its journey of spiritual discipline and learning over the course of numerous incarnations, that Self (called Atman in Hinduism) will stop identifying with the body and will come to fully realize its own infinite untouchable nature,” Fein said. “This is the goal and the reason for this person’s ascetic practice.”
The prolonged strain on Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj's body appears to have led to serious health complications, with his lower-body circulation having been affected. Chronic swelling and skin discoloration are visible on his feet.
Netizens have made assumptions about the state of his legs, claiming he may have chronic venous insufficiency, where blood pools in the legs due to impaired circulation. Over time, this can lead to edema (persistent swelling), skin thickening, and even venous stasis dermatitis, which causes darkened, hardened patches of skin.
Others assumed that conditions like lymphedema, where fluid builds up due to poor lymphatic drainage, could explain the persistent swelling. Some suspected whether it was gangrene, where tissue begins to die due to the lack of blood supply.
Netizens were skeptical about Dulal Giri Ji Maharaj’s actions
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