READ THE STORY OF A MAN FROM VARANASI WHO DIDN'T HAD BATH FOR 35 YEARS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HAVE A SON

Kailash ‘Kalau’ Singh is from the village of Chatav outside the holy city of Varanasi. He is 63-years-old and the father of seven daughters. He has gone for 35 years without bathing apparently in an attempt to have a son. Read about it below and see his photo.

One of Singh’s neighbors, Madhusudan, says that a seer told Kalau years ago that if he didn’t take a bath, he would be blessed with a male child. It seems that many Indians prefer sons for financial reasons. Sons are breadwinners. Girls have to have the matrimonial dowry for the grooms family when they marry. Also, in Indian culture, all their earnings go to their husband’s family. For those reasons, girl children are considered a burden.
So for 35 years Singh hasn’t bathed. It appears his efforts are not working so far.
This has been costly for him. He used to own a grocery store, but had to go out of business when customers quit coming to his store because of his ‘unhealthy personality’. He now works in the fields. He also incurred the anger of his family when he refused to take a ritual dip in the river Ganges even after the death of his brother five years ago.
In spite of what his neighbors have said, Kalau claims he doesn’t remember how it all began. He claims his pledge to not wash is in the ‘national interest’. ‘I’ll end this vow only when all problems confronting the nation end,’ he said.
Even though he refuses to take water baths, he does take fire baths. That involves standing on one leg next to a bonfire, smoking marijuana and saying prayers to Lord Shiva. He claims its just as good as using water to bath and the fire kills germs and infection in the body.
Oh, and he doesn’t brush his teeth either.
Considering this whole scenario its not surprising that he hasn’t had a male child. The surprising thing is that he’s had any children at all.

MUST READ TESTIMONIES FROM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE; SOME PROMINENT PERSONALITIES WHO ACCEPTED CHRIST AND HOW THEY CAME TO KNOW THE LIVING LORD

When change of religion was all about a deeply personal choiceAnuradha RamanIf one goes by popular perception, it's only people belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who are lured by Christianity. The notion is that they give up their religion to break free from the Hindu caste system and nurture the hope that a better life awaits them after they convert. But it's not just the oppressed classes who are drawn to Jesus. Highly educated and well-placed upper-caste Hindus and Muslims have also risked censure from their immediate family and community to take the crucial plunge.
They all have their own reasons for giving up one religion for another. As Jesuit sociologist Rudolf C. Heredia puts it in his book, Changing Gods, Rethinking Conversion in India: "Conversion is a question of personal choice, it involves a rejection, a change or an adaptation of one's identity. A complex set of motivations are involved. The change is the result of a personal quest, which may be more than a religious or spiritual one. Positively, this is experienced as a liberation; negatively, it could be an escape."
So what is it like to switch from one god to another? Outlook spoke to some unlikely converts:

Syed Ainul Hadeed, 38Filmmaker
Syed Hadeed is touched by the Word
"I was born in a rich Muslim family of Pune. My parents belonged to families with a rich religious heritage. When I was barely four, my parents separated. My mother and I moved in with my aunt in Hyderabad. From an early age I was taught Islamic traditions and I also learnt to read the Quran in Arabic. However, I went to schools run by the Jesuits and did well both in studies and sports. My mother and I shifted to Mumbai when I was in the sixth standard."It was during this period that I began carefully studying the Quran. However, I found I could not digest the teachings. Yet I did not stop believing in God's existence. This was in the late 1980s. My teenage years and early adult life were difficult-failed relationships, financial hardships and my father's death made me morose. At one point I even decided to end my life by consuming mercury. Luckily, I survived."It was all very strange. On the one hand I was attempting suicide, but at another level, I had an out-of-body experience. I felt my spirit drift to my old school-to the feet of Jesus Christ. I could feel his presence. After a year, I visited the school and saw the following words engraved on the pedestal on which a statue of Jesus stands to this day: 'I am the resurrection and the Life.' I believe the Holy Spirit had led me to Christ. Today, I am serving the Lord through the gifts that he has endowed me with."Naturally, some Muslim friends did not approve of my giving up Islam. The clerics questioned my change of faith. However, this only strengthened my resolve to study the Bible, the Quran, and the Hadiths. Finally, I realised that Christianity was my true calling."

Rajeev Menon, 42

CEO, N-Able Solutions

"Information technology companies require a strong process, otherwise there will be a delivery failure. There are proven processes of development and it is for the company to adapt them and standardise them."This also holds true in life. I was in my twenties and my life was a total mess.I had no peace of mind. I was going through a personal crisis. It was then that somebody gave me a book on Jesus. It slowly transformed me. My parents saw the change in me but allowed me to choose my faith. I go for prayer meetings regularly and I have renounced all forms of idol worship."

Salma Ali, 33

Advertising and Public Relations consultant

"My mother was a Catholic who converted to Islam when she married my father. We performed namaaz regularly. But my faith was shattered when I came across a verse in the Quran that prescribed corporal punishment for stubborn women. I was shocked. I asked my father, who told me that it was like chiding a child for not listening to elders. "After my parents separated, I moved in with my mother, who had become extremely short-tempered and abusive. At the same time, she started attending church. I used to attend the congregations she went to, at which people danced and sang, something unheard of in Islam. It was then that I started reading the Bible. I found Christianity a far more liberating religion. My life became stable, and I started doing well in my studies. I have been praying every day ever since."

Jaya Ramamurthy, 42V-P

(learning & development) with a business process outsourcing firm
Jaya Ramamurthy says god speaks to her
"Born into a Tamil Brahmin family, I was brought up in an orthodox religious environment. We worshipped numerous gods and observed various rituals. Every Thursday, we also prayed to Sai Baba. At least 150 devotees would turn up at our house for the prayer sessions. Frankly, I could not make any sense of the rituals and yearned for a relationship with a god I could talk to, a god who would listen to me when I spoke to him. "It was around this time that I was afflicted with scabies. I decided to go for a blind date with Jesus in the hope that I would be cured. To my surprise I was rid of my ailment. Years later, at 27, I decided to read the Bible. My mother threw it out of the window. But I did not give up and discovered a god I could talk to. Ever since, I have become far more friendly, and the love of god has changed my life. Today, when I speak, God speaks to me. My relationship with the Almighty has changed my perspective. I have become more respectful towards others."

Prabhu Guptara, 58

Executive Director (organisational development), with Wolfsberg, a UBS subsidiary

"I was 14 when I lost my father and our family lost everything in the process. From prosperity to penury-it was difficult to comprehend at that age. I could not understand how there could be so much suffering if god actually existed. How could he allow people to get away with evil acts? A chance encounter with a young man turned me to Jesus. I read the New Testament carefully and realised that evil is the consequence of man not loving god. Jesus presents a challenge to every individual, asking him to acknowledge his own inadequacies. Over the years, I have found myself moving away from being a selfish person to being more sensitive (to the needs of others)."

READ THIS INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH ANAND MAHADEVAN EDITOR OF OUTLOOK BUSINESS AND ALSO THE AUTHOR OF THE FAMOUS ARTICLE " I , THE CONVERT"

India is presently facing great communal disharmony, especially (though not only in) Orissa. During this volatile time, Anand Mahadevan, the editor of Outlook Business, wrote with great boldness and honesty about his conversion to Christianity .
Greatly edified by his story & his convictions especially given the scenario,Mr. Mahadevan to share some more details with our readers:

During this time of great communal disharmony, fueled by Hindu extremists claiming forced conversions to Christianity, what made you speak out about your own conversion from Hinduism to Christianity?
First, I would chose not to use the words `Hindu Extremists.’ I would prefer to refer to them as my Hindu friends, no matter how they act. I hope they see that violence and unlawfulness finds no place in the Hindu dharma. Two things made me speak up. First, there was a wrong perception that the poor, illiterate and backward caste people were being tricked or financially induced into converting. By speaking out, I wanted to break this myth and show that the rich, educated and the upper caste also chose to follow and worship Jesus. It is a personal choice. And both rich and poor, educated and uneducated, upper caste and lower caste and all mankind has a moral, and constitutional right to chose their faith. Jesus came to take away the sin of all mankind. Second, I was moved by passages from the Bible about Nicodemus. He first came to meet with Jesus in secret; in the dark of the night. But later, he stood up and acknowledged Jesus, first amidst the pharisees and he also came with Joseph of Arimathea to claim the body of Jesus after his crucifixion. I was inspired by Nicodemus and his decision to go public with his faith.

Many of the comments on your article at Outlook are anti what you wrote. Has writing the article changed you in anyway?
One of the joys of knowing Jesus is that it becomes easier to love. I have seen the many comments that have criticized me, my faith, my conversion and my decision to speak out. I respect all the people who have criticized me. I respect their right to hold their point of view. I respect their right to criticize me. Writing the article has not changed anything. What I wrote was heart felt. I wrote it in faith. And I will stand by what I wrote in faith.

I love the fact that you specifically differentiate between your national identity as an Indian and your belief in God, when you speak about retaining your name & giving your children Indian names. Would you expand on this line of thinking?
Not just Indian names. I deliberately chose to give them Hindu names to my children. Because culturally, I am still a Hindu. That will never change. I still love and cherish the many values of Hinduism — love, peace, tolerance, the desire to seek and know God, justice, charity, the pursuit of holiness etc. These are Hindu values and I share all of these values. Just because I follow Christ does not mean that I have to call myself John or Mathew. My national identity is Indian; my cultural identity is Hindu; my spiritual identity is Christian.

Your grandfather was a Tamil Brahmin Priest. Has your conversion caused any friction within your extended family?
My parents did not like my change of heart. But they respect my choice. They still love me. And I still love and honour them. That too will never change.

You talk about Jesus as “a dear friend to whom I pray and talk to every day—about my career, my dreams, successes, failures, finances and even my sexuality”. Would you share a personal testimony on how He has made an impact in any of these areas of your life?
In all of the above areas, be it finance, career or sexuality, the natural inclination of my heart is to sin. And I do struggle with daily temptations in all of these areas. And I do slip every now and then in the areas of pride, selfishness, lust etc. But I always go to Jesus with my struggles and my failures. And He always helps me. He empowers me to live a life that is worthy of the gospel. He works in my conscience leading me to repentance. And over the years, he has taught me how to overcome each of these struggles.
Since you ask specifically about sexuality, let me address that issue. Before I became a follower of Jesus, I did not have any value system in expressing and enjoying my sexuality. But now, the teachings of Jesus have helped me develop a Biblical value system within which I express and enjoy my sexuality. And honestly, in a time of free and abundant sexual opportunities, it is not easy to live within this value system. I have occasionally struggled and failed. But I am not characterized by failure. By talking to Jesus every time I have failed, I have learned to overcome these temptations. I am still tempted. I still struggle. But I also overcome, because Jesus enables me to. I can say that I have submitted even my sexuality to the Lordship of Christ. Ultimately, it all comes down to just one decision. Do I love Jesus Christ enough to give up all the pleasures that He does not approve of. The answer is YES.