The "World's Dirtiest Man," Who Didn't Wash for Over 60 Years, Dies at 94

Living as a Loner in Iran... "Refused to Bathe Due to Emotional Wounds in Youth"
Believed Water on Body Would Cause Death, Recently Fell Ill After Bathing

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported on the 25th (local time) that Amo Haji (Uncle Haji), known domestically as the "world's dirtiest man" for not washing his body for over 60 years, has passed away. He was 94 years old. The photo shows the deceased during his lifetime, taken on December 28, 2018, in Dezgah village, Dehram, Fars Province, southwestern Iran. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A 94-year-old Iranian recluse who had not washed his body for over 60 years has died of old age, the British daily The Guardian reported on the 25th (local time).

According to The Guardian and the BBC, the man, nicknamed "the dirtiest man in the world" and affectionately called "Amo Haji" (Uncle Haji), passed away on the 23rd in Dezga village, Fars Province, southern Iran. He was known to have lived in a brick hut covered entirely in soot and had not washed his body with water and soap for over 60 years.

Villagers said he "refused to wash due to emotional wounds he suffered when he was young." It is unknown whether he had any family, and the villagers took care of him while he lived alone.

In 2014, Tehran Times reported that Haji ate roadkill, smoked tobacco mixed with animal feces in a pipe, and believed that touching water would kill him. In an interview with that newspaper, he reportedly said he enjoyed eating hedgehogs and lived moving between tunnels and his hut, the BBC reported.

The Iranian state news agency IRNA said that a few months ago, villagers urged him to wash, and although he initially refused, he eventually gave in to the pressure and washed. However, it was reported that he fell ill shortly after washing.

The Guardian stated that with Haji's death, the unofficial record for the longest time without bathing now belongs to an Indian man who has not bathed for over 30 years.

In 2009, India's Hindustan Times reported that Kailash Kalaau Singh, living on the outskirts of Varanasi, was not washing as part of "an effort to solve the problems facing the nation."

Varanasi is the oldest city in India and is considered sacred by many Indians. Singh reportedly said he preferred "fire bathing" and did not wash with water, explaining, "Fire bathing is the same as bathing with water and can kill bacteria and germs inside the body." The Hindustan Times reported that every evening, he lights a bonfire in front of villagers, smokes marijuana, and prays standing to Lord Shiva.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.