In the Alipurduar district of West Bengal in India, a tea estate worker lives a life unlike anyone else on the planet. Chandre Oram was born with an extraordinary physical feature that regularly draws thousands of visitors directly to his rural home. He possesses a physical tail extending from his lower back.
This extremely rare anatomical anomaly has completely transformed his daily existence, bringing him immense religious devotion, strict medical scrutiny, and serious romantic complications. The reality of his life involves navigating both modern medical science and ancient cultural beliefs.
The Science Behind the Physical Appendage
Physicians have closely examined Oram and determined that his tail is not a true vestigial structure. A true human tail, known medically as an atavism, develops as a direct prolongation of the coccyx bone. Oram has an appendage that emerges higher up from his lumbar region. Doctors diagnosed this as a congenital malformation known as spina bifida, specifically falling into the rare meningocele category.
The growth itself measures exactly 33 centimeters (13 inches) in length and is roughly 25 millimeters (1 inch) thick. It is covered entirely in thick hair. While surgical removal is a standard medical procedure for this condition, Oram has consistently refused any operation. He and his family consider the physical appendage an inseparable part of his body that he simply cannot live without.
Divine Devotion and Hanuman
Oram happened to be born on Rama Navami, a date marking the birthday of the legendary Hindu king Rama. According to the Ramayana, the monkey deity Hanuman was completely devoted to Rama and helped rescue his captive wife, Sita. Because of his tail and his birth date, many people view Oram as a direct incarnation of Hanuman.
Large numbers of followers travel to visit him specifically to receive his blessings. Some of these visitors have reported experiencing miraculous healings of severe ailments after physically touching his tail. Oram openly embraces this association and claims to enjoy monkey-like behaviors, including climbing, jumping, and eating bananas. He also constructed a dedicated shrine to honor Hanuman, placing a red silk flag associated with the deity at the very top of the structure.
The Complications of Marriage
While the tail brought him immense fame, it also caused severe relationship difficulties. For years, Oram was unable to settle down. He reported that approximately twenty different women rejected his marriage proposals specifically because of his physical condition. He publicly stated he would remain a bachelor like Hanuman unless a woman accepted him exactly as he was.
In 2007, Oram finally married and later had a child. His wife openly admitted that the marriage was a compromise. She stated that after her parents passed away when she was young, her brothers strongly pressured her into getting married. She agreed to the arrangement despite explicitly expressing that she did not find him physically attractive.