JAGATSINGHPUR: Babuli Chand stands out in the crowd due to his long moustache. The 45-year-old man, hailing from Parahat village under Balikuda tehsil, aspires to break the world record of longest beard and moustache.
Babuli works at a petrol pump in Balikuda area and is called ‘Veerappan’ by children owing to his resemblance with the forest brigand and is confident of breaking the State and national record if he fails to achieve his aim.
Inspired by Ram Singh, who once held the record for sporting 18.5 feet moustache and Giridhar Vyas, who had a 22 feet moustache, Babuli, started growing facial hair at the age of 30. He has never looked back since and now has a moustache measuring 2.05 feet.
The man, who takes comments like ‘Moustache Man’ and ‘Chandan smuggler Veerappan’ with a pinch of salt, said he faced protest from his family when he told them of his unusual decision. Babuli is proud of his facial hair and and spends two hours on its maintenance.
He cleans his beard and moustache with lemon, shampoo and black pepper powder every fortnight. Besides, a massage every evening helps him keep his hair soft. Babuli says he is careful about his diet as good health is also on his list of priorities. He says growing beard and moustache has made him popular among residents of the villages in Balikuda block.