The teenager is 13 years old, some people believe him to be a god

Jun 18, 2014 17:43 GMT  ·  By
Teenager in India was born with a tail, is now worshiped as a god because of it
   Teenager in India was born with a tail, is now worshiped as a god because of it

13-year-old Arshid Ali Khan, who now lives in the state of Punjab in India, was born with a tail growing out of his back. The odd appendage, featured in the photo above, now measures about 7 inches in length (about 17.8 centimeters).

According to Daily Mail, the 13-year-old boy presently shares a home with his grandfather and his two uncles. He has no father, and his mother is nowhere in sight.

Because of his anatomical quirk, some people in Punjab consider the boy to be a reincarnation of a Hindu monkey god by the name Hanuman. Hence, they visit him on a regular basis asking that he bless them and hoping to touch his tail.

Despite being worshiped as a god because of it, the teenager says that he is considering the possibility to have the tail removed. By the looks of it, this is because the odd appendage is making it difficult for him to walk.

Arshid Ali Khan is scheduled to see a doctor sometime later this month. His grandfather and his two uncles say that, the way they see things, having a tail is preferable to undergoing what could turn out to be a very risky procedure.

Still, they have agreed to let the 13-year-old boy call the shots. “It is for Balaji to decide. If he wants to get the tail removed, we do not mind. He has trouble walking and so we are asking doctors what can be done,” says the boy's grandfather.