They say America is the land of opportunity, but India seems well on its way to taking that crown. Where else can a man acquire a group of followers for having a 37cm (14.5 inch) tail of hair growing just above his butt crack?
Chandre Oraon is a mild-mannered man making a humble living by picking tea for a nearby plantation. As a youth he was often teased for his unusually long patch of hair on his lower back. Kids used to pull it and girls would refuse his advances because of it. Eventually he was able to find a wife in 38-year-old Maino Oraon who was compelled to get married after her parents had passed away.
Now 35 years old, it’s been a rather hard life for Mr. Oraon and his bum hair, but then things began to take a turn for the better. Word began to spread that he was a reincarnation of Hanuman, a Hindu god in the form of a monkey.
Hanuman is a benevolent being and very powerful against demons. People worship him to expel evil spirits or negative energies form their lives. And so, people began visiting Oraon from near and far in the hopes that his monkey-like hair tail can assist in removing misfortune.
Other rumors began to grow that the West-Bengal resident has superior tree-climbing abilities and was born on the same day as the Hanuman ritual. Oraon currently offers blessings from a small shrine in an alcove of his home but hopes that one day he can raise the money to build a proper temple.
Mr. Oraon’s tail tale is an inspiration to other excessively hair men out there. My armpit tufts alone can twist to braids good three inches in length. I’ve already gone through the childhood teasing and disgusted wife phase. Worshipers should be just around the corner!
Source: YouTube – Barcroft TV (English) via Zaeega (Japanese)
Haurman Image: Wikipedia – Ravi Varma Press