Indian dad avoids washing for 35 years: report

Yahoo News ^ | May 12, 2009

[COUNTrecount]

An Indian man who fathered seven daughters has not washed for 35 years in an apparent attempt to ensure his next child is a boy, newspapers reported.

Kailash "Kalau" Singh replaces bathing and brushing his teeth with a "fire bath" every evening when he stands on one leg beside a bonfire, smokes marijuana and says prayers to Lord Shiva, according to the Hindustan Times.

"It's just like using water to take a bath," Kalau was reported as saying. "A fire bath helps kill germs and infection in the body."

Kalau, 63, from a village outside the holy city of Varanasi, outraged his family by refusing to take a ritual dip in the river Ganges even after his brother died five years ago.

"I still don't remember how it all began," he said in Saturday's edition of the paper. "I just know it started about 35 years ago."

Kalau's hygiene regime has taken its toll on his professional life.

[Sherman Logan]

Actually, there’s nothing in the photo or the post to indicate the picture is of Americans.

I know it is because I’ve seen the photo before. But nobody said the picture was of Americans.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

It’s the context that’s relevant. If you don’t want to see that, then that’s a choice you’re making.

[calex59]

I don’t think his chances of having a boy have increased, but his chances of having sex are in the toilet! Most women I know wouldn’t let you within 10 feet of them if you went without a bath for one day, let alone 35 years, and I am including wives in that statement!

[GovernmentShrinker]

Yeah, saw that. More notable for the present discussion was the picture of the apparently retarded white TV fan. I guess you’re not allowed to post pictures of retarded white people because you’re not (or at least chuck thinks you’re not) white.

[calex59]

I don’t think his chances of having a boy have increased, but his chances of having sex are in the toilet! Most women I know wouldn’t let you within 10 feet of them if you went without a bath for one day, let alone 35 years, and I am including wives in that statement!

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

What’s next? “500 million lost jobs each month”?

Oh, trust me, you'll find it impossible to miss an opportunity to go commenting in the same manner in one of those threads, even if you could help it.

[midnightcat]

what kind of religious commandments do Hindus have, anyway? I know very little about Hinduism.

[COUNTrecount]

Maybe she does THIS for a living.

[TheOldLady]

"We are all Americans here: Scottish, English, Czech, Indian, Panjabi, Spanish, Lebanese etc.. may be our ethnicities but our country is the good ole USA"

Ssssnnifff. You left me out.

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

Much to the annoyance of chuck_the_tv_out, this long excerpt summarizes the answer to your query:

 

 

 

   The Bhagavad-Gita.

Chapter XII

ARJUNA: LORD! of the men who serve Thee—true in heart—
As God revealed; and of the men who serve,
Worshipping Thee Unrevealed, Unbodied, far,
Which take the better way of faith and life?
KRISHNA: Whoever serve Me—as I show Myself—	5
Constantly true, in full devotion fixed,
These hold I very holy. But who serve—
Worshipping Me The One, The Invisible,
The Unrevealed, Unnamed, Unthinkable,
Uttermost, All-pervading, Highest, Sure—	10
Who thus adore Me, mastering their sense,
Of one set mind to all, glad in all good,
These blessed souls come unto Me.
Yet, hard
The travail is for whoso bend their minds	15
To reach th’ Unmanifest. That viewless path
Shall scarce be trod by man bearing his flesh!
But whereso any doeth all his deeds,
Renouncing self in Me, full of Me, fixed
To serve only the Highest, night and day	20
Musing on Me—him will I swiftly lift
Forth from life’s ocean of distress and death
Whose soul clings fast to Me. Cling thou to Me!
Clasp Me with heart and mind! so shalt thou dwell
Surely with Me on high. But if thy thought	25
Droops from such height; if thou be’st weak to set
Body and soul upon Me constantly,
Despair not! give Me lower service! seek
To read Me, worshipping with steadfast will;
And, if thou canst not worship steadfastly,	30
Work for Me, toil in works pleasing to Me!
For he that laboreth right for love of Me
Shall finally attain! But, if in this
Thy faint heart fails, bring Me thy failure! find
Refuge in Me! let fruits of labor go,	35
Renouncing all for Me, with lowliest heart,
So shalt thou come; for, though to know is more
Than diligence, yet worship better is
Than knowing, and renouncing better still
Near to renunciation—very near—	40
Dwelleth Eternal Peace!
Who hateth nought
Of all which lives, living himself benign,
Compassionate, from arrogance exempt,
Exempt from love of self, unchangeable	45
By good or ill; patient, contented, firm
In faith, mastering himself, true to his word,
Seeking Me, heart and soul; vowed unto Me,—
That man I love! Who troubleth not his kind,
And is not troubled by them; clear of wrath,	50
Living too high for gladness, grief, or fear,
That man I love! Who, dwelling quiet-eyed,
Stainless, serene, well-balanced, unperplexed,
Working with Me, yet from all works detached,
That man I love! Who, fixed in faith on Me,	55
Dotes upon none, scorns none; rejoices not,
And grieves not, letting good and evil hap
Light when it will, and when it will depart,
That man I love! Who, unto friend and foe
Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind	60
Bears shame and glory, with an equal peace
Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides
Quit of desires, hears praise or calumny
In passionless restraint, unmoved by each,
Linked by no ties to earth, steadfast in Me,	65
That man I love! But most of all I love
Those happy ones to whom ’tis life to live
In single fervid faith and love unseeing,
Eating the blessèd Amrit of my Being!
Here endeth Chapter XII. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ,	70
entitled “Bhakityôgô,” or “The Book of
the Religion of Faith”

[TheOldLady]

Soooo... This guy has to drink enough beer so he can [ahem] put out that fire before he burns to death? Yeah, I knew guys like that in college.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[SoftwareEngineer]

Midnight,

Good question. In my many years of talking to Hindus (and going to some inter faith conferences) I have found out that they have a ton of commandments but most of them dovetail very well with the 10 commandments.

They also have pilgrimage commandments, like bathing in the Ganges.

However, as with all such commandments, they are observed whenever possible as not everyone can go to the Ganges.

Their commandments are not all written down in one book in one bible but instead scattered in multiple books.

Let me know if you need more detail and I will PM you.

Cheers!

Engineer

[SoftwareEngineer]

OldLady,

Yes I did. I am sorry. In Texas we have a very rich cultural mix. Tons of Germans, Polish, Italians, Russians, Spanish etc.

Everyone seems plenty proud of their background. I love going to the Hill Country in Texas, which is strongly Germanic.

Go to Fredricksburg. SOLID place to visit!

Engineer

[TheOldLady]

Ha ha ha, you included half of me that time. I’m of Italian and French extraction but not a hyphenated American. American first, last and always.

Besides, I really hate the French. ;-)

[Veto!]

Thanks for the info.

If you enjoy things Indian, you might be interested in the PBS series Travels to the Edge, featuring the work of photographer Art Wolfe. His India show had the most astonishing pictures of the Ganges, Benares, etc I’ve ever seen. Amazing color and detail and human interest. I know I spent a past life there. LOL.

[TurtleUp]

Ok, so what is the deal with these smelly threads on FR? Yesterday it was the Amish using human waste for fertilizer, today it’s some Indian guy who never bathes. Can’t wait to see what stinky story somebody comes up with tomorrow!

Don't forget the daily threads on the stinker in our White HOuse.

[a fool in paradise]

[SoftwareEngineer]

I agree with you: no hyphenation. Pure American.

However, there is a big difference between Hyphenated-Americans and Americans who are proud of their heritage. It is the difference between being an African American or an American of African extraction.

Cheers!

Engineer

[Slings and Arrows]

Come for the article, stay for the pissing contest!