Man honoured by India Book of Records for tattooing 631 martyrs’ names on his body
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New Delhi: Most people get their loved ones' names tattooed on them, but the India Book of Records has recognised the efforts of the man who created the "Living Wall Memorial," which bears the names of 631 martyrs.
In order to honour the Indian Army and the freedom fighters—among them, Mahatma Gandhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji, Rani Lakshmi Bai, and Bhagat Singh—Abhishek Gautam, an Uttar Pradesh native, acquired 631 tattoos.
However, his tribute to the country’s martyrs does not stop at people as he has also got memorials like India Gate inked on his body.
It took him 15 days to get all the tattoos done as it needed a lot of time and tolerance for pain to accomplish the mammoth task.
Asked how the idea came to his mind, Abhishek Gautam said, "Last year I visited Leh-Ladakh. The Indian Army saved one of my friends during an incident and throughout our journey, we felt safe as the soldiers were always there. Since then I had been thinking about a befitting way to pay tribute to them. That’s when the idea of getting inked came to my mind."
"For an entire year, I researched the names of martyrs and met with some of their family members. I then approached a tattoo artist in Delhi, who designed the tattoo and began the inking process," Abhishek Gautam stated, IANS reported.
"Before getting the tattoos, I consulted doctors who advised against it due to the lengthy process and potential adverse reactions. However, despite their warnings, I proceeded with it," he stated.
Surprisingly, his family, including his wife, were unaware of his decision initially but supported him in his endeavour later on.
"Nowadays, people show their patriotism on August 15, January 26, or during India-Pakistan cricket matches, but otherwise, they’re indifferent. While I couldn’t join the Indian Army, I wanted a daily reminder of my patriotism and these tattoos serve that purpose," he said.
The high point came when the India Book of Records which has been the curator and custodian of Indian Records since 2006, decided to honour Abhishek Gautam’s amazing feat.