An 80-year-old man from Iran may have set a peculiar world record by abstaining from bathing for 60 years due to his belief that cleanliness leads to illness. The man, known as Haji, doesn’t have any known relatives, but the local community takes care of him.
Previously, the record for the longest time without a shower was held by a 66-year-old Indian named Kailash Singh, who had gone without bathing for 38 years.
According to reports, Haji faced emotional setbacks in his youth, leading him to choose a solitary lifestyle. Despite offers from some young men to shower, Haji declined, convinced that cleanliness is detrimental to his health. Despite his unconventional habits, he has not given up on the idea of finding love.
Haji’s preferred food is the rotten meat of dead animals, especially porcupines. To maintain his health, he consumes five liters of water daily from a rusty oil can. Additionally, he enjoys smoking but opts for inhaling dried cow dung instead of tobacco.
Haji resides in an underground hole resembling a grave and occasionally stays in an open brick shack built by sympathetic individuals.
Locals in the neighbourhood acknowledged his fear of getting sick was the reason he avoided water. However, they successfully managed to wash Haji a few months ago, but he eventually died after that.
IMPORTANT WORDS:
- Peculiar: Unusual or strange; distinctive in nature.
- Abstaining: Refraining or avoiding, especially from something considered unhealthy or undesirable.
- Solitary: Involving or characterized by solitude or isolation; being alone.
- Detrimental: Causing harm or damage; having a harmful effect.
- Unconventional: Not based on or conforming to established customs, rules, or traditions; not traditional or typical.
- Rusty: Covered with rust, which is a reddish-brown coating formed on iron or steel by oxidation.
- Inhaling: Breathing in; taking air or a substance into the lungs.
- Dung: Animal feces; excrement.
- Sympathetic: Showing compassion, understanding, or support for someone’s feelings or situation; having or expressing sympathy.
