Pulling a Chariot with Hooks in the Back

B Premanand

In one of the recent Kumbh melas, a naked Naga Baba walked in the procession with a hook on his penis skin dangling a 35 kg stone. This came on the National Television and most of the newspapers and journals published the photograph. When interviewed, he attributed his feat to yogic power and celibacy. In fact, it had nothing to do with celibacy or yoga. The foreskin is strong enough to take a weight of 80 kg. But the baba, being afraid to do so, lifted only 35 kg.

A common sight near South Indian temples is of mendicants piercing their skin and stitching lemons, fruits and vegetables all over their bodies. In Kerala there is a temple where the oracle puts two hooks into his back and hangs himself on a pole. Similarly, there are people who pull chariots of gods with hooks through their backs. Others pierce their tongues and cheeks with tridents (Trishul). Muslim babas pierce their neck and chest with swords. People seeing these ghastly miracles and are filled with awe and devotion. But are they miracles? They can be done by any courageous person with minimal pain.

Experiment -24

Effect: Lemons are stitched on to the skin without pain 'or blood. 

Props: Lemons, No.8 needles, sewing thread, and scissors.

Prof Narendra Nayak with a volunteer (Bangalore) with a lemon stitched to her skin

A rligious Vel Kavadi

Method: Thread the needle with 12" thread. Put the needle through the lemon and knot the ends of the thread so that the lemon does not fall from the thread and the needle is in the centre of the thread. First pinch the skin of the volunteer two or three times, pull it, and pass the needle through the outer epidermis, and insert the needle into the lemon. Now the lemon will be hanging on the skin without tearing the skin.

A Rationalist Kavadi! An activist of Rationalist Forum, Tamil Nadu at the World Atheist Conference, Thiruchirappalli debunking Vel Kavadi by piercing his torso with dozens of needles.

As described earlier, the sensation of pain can be known only when the pain symptom is registered in the brain. That is how surgery is performed without pain through anesthesia. When the skin is pinched the nerves are numbed and so the pain sensation does not reach the brain. The outer epidermis can easily take a weight of about 500 grams without tearing, while three layers of skin can take a weight of 80 kg.

Experiment -25

Effect: Hanging a person by hooks on the back of his body where the skin does not tear, nor is there any blood.

Periyar Dravida Kazagam activists from Coimbatore debunking the miracle during 8th FIRA conference in Nagpur on 11 & 12 February 2012

Props: Two hooks, enough plastic rope, a pole with pulley fixed in ground, Tincture of Iodine, one large Turkish towel, cotton. 

Method: Pierce the back of the skin with hooks on two parallel sides and tie the two ends of the two ropes on outer end of the hooks. The other ends of the rope are passed through the pulley and hanging to the ground. Take a strong large bath towel through the front to the back of the person and tie the ends to the ropes and see the person is balanced when pulled up a little. Then pull the other two ends of the ropes and the person is suspended on hooks in the air.

Experiment -26

Effect: Pulling a chariot with hooks in the back without any blood flowing from the wounds.

Props: Two hooks, enough plastic rope, a folk chariot made with bamboos and decorated with colored tissue paper, tincture of iodine, and cotton.

Method: A person with hooks through the skin of the back is tied to a folk chariot with plastic rope at the other end of the hooks. He can draw it along without any difficulty or pain, and without bleeding.

Experiment -27

Effect: Pulling an ambassador car with hooks on the bodies of two volunteers.

Props: 4 hooks, plastic rope, tincture of iodine and cotton.

Method: Two persons with the two hooks on each one of the volunteer's back, with plastic rope n other side of the hooks tied to the ambassador car can pull it without any difficulty and without bleeding, or tearing of the skin. The road should be as level as possible.

Experiment: 27

Effect: Pulling a motor car with hooks on the bodies of two volunteers

Props: Four hooks, plastic ropes, tincture of iodine and cotton.

Method: Two persons with two hooks on each one of the volunteer's back, with plastic rope on the other side of the hooks tied to a motor car can pull it without any difficulty and without bleeding, or tearing of the skin. The road should be as level as possible.

Posted in: Premanand,Science versus Miracles