Your marriage may face its ups and downs, but you (probably) don’t have to uphold a vow like “in sickness and in health, with or without a tail.” But Maino Oraon, unfortunately, does.
Orphaned at a young age, Maino’s only option was an arranged marriage with Chandre Oraon, a man who is revered by many in India as a god because he was born with a tail growing out of the base of his spine, which has since grown in length to 14.5 inches.
“He doesn’t look good,” his wife, 38, laments.
But Chandre, who is 35 years old and resides with his wife in West Bengal, seems content with his notoriety and deification; in fact, he claims that he would build a temple to himself if he had the funds. (He is currently seeking help to raise financial aid, which may explain his appearance on Barcroft TV, which recently aired the segment on the Oraons on its YouTube channel).
Chandre’s status comes from the religious mythology of Hanuman, a monkey-like demigod from Hindu legend. His hundreds of followers believe that he is a reincarnation who should be properly worshiped.
“My tail is good for me,” he claims, despite the bullying he received in his youth. He presently gives blessings to visitors and the ill, many of whom travel for days to touch his sacred appendage.
“Their diseased are healed,” Chandre’s uncle says. “Even wishes are fulfilled.”
It’s a new meaning to “getting some tail,” to be sure, although it remains to be seen if Chandre himself is. He says that many women rejected his proposals over the years, and he eventually settled for his slightly older wife, who is not attracted to him.
“Even though they have a 5-year-old daughter,” says a voiceover on the segment about the Monkey God, “Chandre’s tail is causing trouble between the couple.”
“My brothers wanted me to get married. So I had to compromise and marry him,” Maino says.
Happy Valentine’s Day, indeed, one and all.
