Shankar Kurhade (48), wears his face mask made out of gold as he poses for a photograph amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pune, India, July 4, 2020. Kurhade claims the mask weighs 50 grams and costs around $3870. REUTERS/Stringer NO ARCHIVES. NO RESALES.
There are 2 things you cannot get rid of if you are an India, gold, and our love for chai. These 2 things are always present wherever you go.
To prove this, we bring you to Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune, where a man named Shankar Kurade spent nearly Rs. 3,00,000 on a fully customized pure gold mask.
The mask is there to protect himself from the coronavirus.
The golden mask is 50 grams heavy and has a number of small holes in it, to make sure that there is no difficulty in breathing in the fresh air.
However, when asked about the efficiency of the mask from protecting him from the coronavirus, Kurade said:
I am not sure whether this mask will be effective.
He added:
It’s a thin mask with minute holes so that there is no difficulty in breathing. I am not sure whether this mask will be effective.
Kurade said that he loves wearing gold.
The unique idea of him wearing the golden mask came after he saw a man wearing a silver mask on the internet.
He explained:
I saw a video on social media of a man in Kolhapur wearing a silver mask and then an idea struck me to have a mask of gold. I talked to a goldsmith and he gave me this five and a half pound gold mask in a week. All my family members love gold, if they too demand it, then I will get it designed for them too. I do not know if I will be infected with coronavirus wearing a gold mask or not, but following all the rules of the government can prevent the spread of virus.
Kurade has been in love with golden ornaments since he was a kid.