Indian martial artist Vispy Kharadi has added another staggering accomplishment to his long list of Guinness World Records, claiming the title for the heaviest weight holding Hercules Pillars (male) with a combined total of 261 kg (575.4 lb).
Known as the “Steel Man of India”, Kharadi held the massive pillars — each weighing about half as much as a polar bear — for one minute and seven seconds, surpassing the required time as thousands roared in support at the Attari border in Punjab on 17 August.
Several men were needed to manoeuvre the pillars into place before Kharadi stepped onto a raised platform, gripping the chains and taking the full weight himself. When the clock stopped, he released the pillars and appeared visibly moved by the achievement.
Kharadi dedicated the record to the Forces of India, telling his 203,000 Instagram followers that the accomplishment honoured those “who protect us”. This marks his 17th Guinness World Records title, and he credited his mentors Shihan and Hanshi for their unwavering support.
This is not Kharadi’s first victory with the Hercules Pillars. In November last year, he secured the record for the longest duration holding Hercules Pillars (male), enduring 2 minutes 10.75 seconds with weights of 166.7 kg and 168.9 kg.
His oldest standing record dates back to October 2019, when he bent 21 iron bars with his neck in one minute. In October 2022, he claimed two titles in a single day:
– Heaviest concrete block break on a bed of nails sandwich (male) – 528 kg
– Most concrete blocks broken with the elbow in one minute – 64
Kharadi’s record-breaking streak continued in Milan in February 2023, where he captured three more titles on the TV show Lo Show dei Record, including:
– Heaviest concrete block break on a bed of nails (male) – 964.80 kg
– Most iron bars bent with the head in one minute – 24
– Most people on a one-inch bed of nails sandwich – 11
He reclaimed the bed-of-nails group record in November 2024 with a team of 10.
Most recently, in February this year, Kharadi returned to Lo Show dei Record and achieved one of his most extraordinary feats yet — the heaviest weight sustained on the body, carrying 1,819 kg (4,010.2 lb), nearly the weight of a giraffe.
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