A man who has not bathed since 1973

Chhatav (Varanasi), May 14: For the last 36 years, this man has neither taken a bath nor shaved.

His neighbours in this Uttar Pradesh village situated 20 kms from Varanasi city say Kailash Singh Kallu, a father of seven daughters, is following the `ritual` for a son. But the 65-year-old maintains that he has taken a vow to ensure the welfare of the nation. "I am doing this to do away with the problems of the country," said Kallu, who lives here with his wife Rukmani and the seventh unmarried daughter. However, his neighbours has a different story to tell. "Kallu has not been taking bath for the last 36 years as he was advised to do so by a Baba so that he can have a son," Ramnath, a villager, said. Rukmini is not happy with this unnatural behaviour. "I am his wife so I have to live with him but most of the villagers have stopped coming to our house," she said. Kallu, who works in his one-acre land to earn a living, has replaced bathing with a `fire bath`. Every evening, he stands beside a bonfire and prays to god. "The fire bath clears me off all ailments and filthiness," he said. Bureau Report