It took him 15 days to get all the tattoos done, as he needed a lot of time and pain tolerance to accomplish the gigantic task.
Most people get the names of their loved ones tattooed on their bodies, but India’s ‘Living Memorial Wall’ has the names of 631 martyrs tattooed on its body and their efforts have been honoured by the Indian Book of Records. Abhishek Gautam from Hapur in Uttar Pradesh got 631 tattoos done because he wanted to show his love and respect for the Indian Army and freedom fighters including Mahatma Gandhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji, Rani Lakshmi Bai and Bhagat Singh, to name a few.
However, his tribute to the country’s martyrs is not limited to people, as he also has monuments such as the India Gate tattooed on his body.
It took him 15 days to get all the tattoos done, as he needed a lot of time and pain tolerance to accomplish the gigantic task.
When asked how he came up with the idea, Abhishek Gautam said, “Last year, I visited Leh-Ladakh. The Indian Army saved one of my friends during an incident and throughout our trip, we felt safe because the soldiers were always there. Since then, I had been thinking of a befitting way to pay tribute to them. That’s when the idea of getting a tattoo came to me.”
“For a whole year I was researching the names of the martyrs and met some of their relatives. I then contacted a tattoo artist from Delhi, who designed the tattoo and started the inking process,” Abhishek Gautam said.
“Before getting the tattoos, I consulted with doctors who advised me against it because of the length of the process and possible adverse reactions. However, despite their warnings, I went ahead with the procedure,” she said.
Surprisingly, his family, including his wife, were initially unaware of his decision but later supported him in his endeavor.
“Nowadays, people show their patriotism on August 15, January 26 or during India-Pakistan cricket matches, but are otherwise indifferent. Though I could not join the Indian Army, I wanted a daily reminder of my patriotism and these tattoos serve that purpose,” he said.
The crowning moment came when the Indian Book of Records, which has been the curator and custodian of Indian records since 2006, decided to honour Abhishek Gautam’s incredible feat.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.