An Uttar Pradesh man, Ramesh Chand Kushwah, is garnering attention for his 35-foot-long moustache, a feature he has dedicated much of his life to maintaining. The 80-year-old from Agra was inspired to grow an extraordinarily long moustache after seeing a man with a similar one in a book 20 years ago. This commitment led him to abandon contact with his daughter and grandchildren to keep it pristine, fearing they might accidentally cut or damage it.
Ramesh, who spoke to Local18, shared, “It took me a long time to learn how to care for my hair to make it grow. Now I take very good care of it. I have a daughter, but I don’t live with her because otherwise my moustache would be in danger. Her children could pull it out or damage it in some way, and that would be devastating for me.”
Ramesh began growing his moustache about 35 years ago, shortly after losing his wife. “My moustache became my passion,” he explained. “I stopped trimming my moustache, but it was hard to keep it strong, so I asked people for advice. I was told to use milk, curd, butter, and cream to keep it strong, and that really helped.”
He keeps his moustache tied in a ball on top of his head to protect it from damage and uses cotton threads at the ends to maintain its strength. Despite the initial challenges, his moustache has remained intact, earning him the nickname ‘Moustache Man’ in Agra. Both locals and tourists visit his milk shop to take pictures with him and his impressive snow-white moustache.
Ramesh recounted an incident at the Taj Mahal where tourists were more interested in his moustache than the monument. “Last year I was at the Taj Mahal and the foreigners were more interested in me and my moustache than the Taj Mahal. They started taking pictures with me instead of the Taj Mahal. I was happy because I felt I was different. I think my moustache inspires people. I have seen many people grow their moustaches after seeing mine,” he said.
Despite his fame, Ramesh earns only Rs 100 a day from his milk shop and has not seen his daughter and grandchildren for many years, prioritizing the safety of his moustache over familial connections. He describes himself as a simple man with no desires in life, content with his unique claim to fame.
