Kailash ‘Kalau’ Singh is from the village of Chatav outside the holy city of Varanasi. He is 63-years-old and the father of seven daughters. He has gone for 35 years without bathing apparently in an attempt to have a son.
One of Singh’s neighbors, Madhusudan, says that a seer told Kalau years ago that if he didn’t take a bath, he would be blessed with a male child. It seems that many Indians prefer sons for financial reasons. Sons are breadwinners. Girls have to have the matrimonial dowry for the grooms family when they marry. Also, in Indian culture, all their earnings go to their husband’s family. For those reasons, girl children are considered a burden.
So for 35 years Singh hasn’t bathed. It appears his efforts are not working so far.
This has been costly for him. He used to own a grocery store, but had to go out of business when customers quit coming to his store because of his ‘unhealthy personality’. He now works in the fields. He also incurred the anger of his family when he refused to take a ritual dip in the river Ganges even after the death of his brother five years ago.
In spite of what his neighbors have said, Kalau claims he doesn’t remember how it all began. He claims his pledge to not wash is in the ‘national interest’. ‘I’ll end this vow only when all problems confronting the nation end,’ he said.
Even though he refuses to take water baths, he does take fire baths. That involves standing on one leg next to a bonfire, smoking marijuana and saying prayers to Lord Shiva. He claims its just as good as using water to bath and the fire kills germs and infection in the body.
Oh, and he doesn’t brush his teeth either.
Considering this whole scenario its not surprising that he hasn’t had a male child. The surprising thing is that he’s had any children at all.
Tags:
