Chandre Oram
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Chandre Oram is an Indian tea estate worker who lives in Alipurduar of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. He is famous for having a long tail which has made him an object of devotion to many, who believe him to be an incarnation of Hindu monkey demigod Hanuman.
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[edit] Object of devotion
Mr Oram has been visited by numerous people that seek him in order to receive his blessings. Some of his followers also report miraculous healings of severe ailments after touching his tail.[1] Not only his uncommon tail is responsible for his great ape-demigod fame, as he also shows some ape-like behavior. Chandre likes jumping, climbing, and eating bananas.[2] Nonetheless, it cannot be disregarded that he could have gotten used to this because of his own convincement that the deity is manifest in him. Another factor that has greatly influenced his thoughts on the matter is that he was born on the date known as Rama Navami, which is the birthday of Rama. According to the Ramayana, Hanuman was a devout of god incarnation Rama, and helped him rescue his fiancee that was being held captive by an evil king. Chandre has set up shrine to honour Hanuman, on top of which there is a red silk flag, which was Hanuman's symbol. The offerings he receives are given to the deity.
[edit] Clinical explanation
According to physicians the tail Mr Oram has is not a real tail, but a congenital malformation known as spina bifida, in this case of the rare meningocele category. It is possible for human embryos to develop a tail, as the genes which do participate in this process still exist in many people. However, the probability of this gene to reach the phenotype is very low: it could happen because of rare recessive gene coupling or some form of mutation that brings the gene back to a dominant place. That is why very few cases have been recorded in history of medicine. The presence of these kind of vestigial structures is known as an atavism. When a human embryo develops a true tail, it is located as a prolongation of the coccyx, just like the tail of a dog or a monkey. Mr Oram, though, has its tail coming out of his lumbar region, which is a clear sign that it is caused by split spine. The tail consists in a thirteen inches (325 mm) long and one inch (25 mm) thick appendix to the bone of the spine covered by lots of hair.
[edit] Social issues
Mr Oram has refused operation to surgically remove his tail. According to his family, it has already become a part of him which he could not live without.[2] However, this also has its costs, as he has not been able to settle down and raise a family of his own. He has reported that approximately twenty women have rejected marrying him because of his defect. He has said: "I have decided to marry the woman who accepts me and my tail. Or else, I'll remain a bachelor like Hanuman."[1]
