A Standing Baba, or Khareshwari, is a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
who has vowed to stand, not sitting or lying down even to sleep. The vow is a form of Hindu
Tapa (or Tapasas), a self-inflicted corporal punishment intended to help bring spiritual enlightenment. Khareshwari are primarily found in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, but are not limited to that country.
The length of the vow is unclear from available references. One source says that the vow lasts for twelve years. Other sources do not attach a specific time frame.
Khareshwari traditionally stood under a tree. This may be connected to the Yoga position known as Vrikasana, the Tree Position. A seventeenth-century engraving shows some images of what may be Standing Baba.
More recently Khareshwari seem to stand inside. Author
Gregory David Roberts
Gregory David Roberts (born Gregory John Peter Smith; 1952) is an Australian author best known for his novel ''Shantaram (novel), Shantaram''. He is a former opioid use disorder, heroin addict and convicted bank robber who escaped from Pentrid ...
places Babas inside in his description of Khareshwari in the novel ''
Shantaram''. Additionally, two online photos of Khareshwari both show men inside, not under a tree.
The Standing Baba have a swing-like device that allows them to rest their arms during the day. During the night, a Khareshwari will support his torso on the swing as he sleeps. The swing usually has a sling beneath it. The sling can hold one of the Khareshwari's legs at a time. It is unclear if this is intended to rest one leg or to increase the pressure on the other leg. While Khareshwaris may walk about, they usually just stand/hang in their swing.
Standing for years at a time causes swollen legs and ulcerated feet. Roberts and others describe the Khareshwari tapa as extremely painful and even permanently disabling.
References
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Yoga
Hinduism in India