Special / UP priest with tumour on face worshiped as reincarnation of Lord Jambavantha

Mail Online : Feb 20, 2020, 03:47 PM
An Indian priest born with a massive facial tumour is worshipped by local villagers as a god.

Dabul Mishra, 32, from Shahjehanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh, was born with a condition that caused his face and lips to grow to outsized proportions. 

He has almost exhausted his savings trying to get the tumour removed and now works in a local temple to support his family - because he refuses to beg.

But some villagers in Shahjehanpur actually see the deformity as a blessing - believing him to be an incarnation of the god Lord Jambavantha, who is depicted with a bear-like face.

Dabul currently lives in poor conditions with his blind wife and children - but has not lost hope.

He said: 'I was born with this condition but never took to begging because of my self-respect.

'Although I consider this as a curse, the people have now found a god in me and worships me as an incarnation of Lord Jambavantha.

'I tried visiting many hospitals but no one could find me a proper cure, I almost exhausted my savings but then stopped going to the hospitals with a hope of cure.

'The government officials are aware of my condition but have not offered any help.

'I will keep fighting till the end and find a cure of it, it is just that at the moment I am not in the condition to afford my expenses.' 

Dabul's job involves collecting donations from devotees and singing songs at religious gatherings.

His wife, who has not been named, said: 'It is a tough life for us as I am blind and he is suffering from this condition.

'It is good that I cannot see else it would have been more tough for me after seeing my husband in this condition.'

Lord Jambavanta originated in epic Indian poetry and is popularly found in the Ramyana, an epic of ancient India, which is written in Sanskrit.

The character is traditionally a black bear or sloth bear, but has been described as a monkey in other scriptures. 

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