For over half a century, Amou Haji had resisted the use of soap and water out of the paranoid belief that it would make him ill.The Iranian, who resided in the province of Fars in the south of the country, had previously evaded earlier attempts by the locals to purge him.
However, according to reports from the local media, Amou Haji wiped his hands of the scandal a few months ago.He reportedly fell unwell not long after that and passed away on Sunday, as reported by Iran’s IRNA news agency.
In a previous interview, which was granted to the Tehran Times in the year 2014, he disclosed that porcupine was his favorite dish, and that he resided in the village of Dejgah in between a hole in the ground and a brick shack that was built by worried neighbors.
He explained his peculiar decisions to the source at the time by saying that he had “emotional hurdles” when he was younger.According to IRNA, years of not showering had left him with skin covered in “soot and pus,” and his diet consisted of rotting meat and filthy water drunk from an old oil can. His skin was also coated in “soot and pus.”
He was also an avid smoker, and on at least one occasion he can be seen in a photograph taking drags from more than one cigarette at the same time.According to the news agency, attempts to give him a wash or provide him with clean water to drink made him sad.
However, whether or not he holds the record for going the longest without taking a bath is something that has been the subject of some discussion. There were rumors circulating about an Indian man in 2009 who was said to have not washed his hands or brushed his teeth for the previous 35 years. It was not immediately obvious what had taken place with him after that.
