Meet Chandre Oraon, the monkey god man with 14.5-inch tail

A man with a 14.5-inch hairy tail growing from his back has been hailed as a god by villagers in India.

Chandre Oraon, 35, was born with a patch of hair on his lower back and has refused to have it cut, leading to locals believing that he is an incarnation of Hindu monkey deity Hanuman.

Worshippers travel hundreds of miles to queue up outside his house in Alipurduar, West Bengal, to seek blessings by touching his tail.

Mr Oraon, who works as a tea picker, said: ‘I am Hanuman. People have a lot of respect for me because of my tail. I don't mind the tail at all. It is a gift by god.’

His followers see his ability to climb trees as proof that he is Hanuman, and believe he has healing powers.

Monika Lakda, who had travelled overnight to see Mr Oraon at his small makeshift shrine, said: ‘My brother's son was once very unwell and had fever.

‘We gave him medicine but it did not work. So we came to Chandre to seek his blessings. The baby recovered soon after that.

‘We believe that Chandre is an incarnation of Hanuman. They say he was born on the Holy Hanuman day. So we have faith in him.’

Doctors have offered to have the long tail removed, something which Chandre has vehemently resisted.

He said: ‘Once my mother chopped of my tail when I was young. Soon after, I got a high fever and I was very sick. My mother told me that I almost died.

‘After that, everyone said I must keep the tail. My family said they felt me getting sick was a sign that my tail was divine.’