Amou Haji passed away at the age of 94, just months after taking his first bath in decades .
Iran's IRNA news agency reported that Haji was a hermit in Iran, nicknamed "the dirtiest man in the world ." Haji died in the village of Dejgah, Fars province, southern Iran, on October 23.
Mr. Haji smokes a pipe filled with animal feces. (Photo: IRNA)
According to local media, Mr. Haji lived in a shack made of earth and stones and had not bathed with water or soap for over 60 years. Villagers in Dejgah said that Mr. Haji experienced heartbreak in his youth, which led him to decide against bathing. His entire body was covered in soot.
In 2004, The Tehran Times reported that Haji ate the carcasses of dead animals along the road, smoked a pipe filled with animal feces, and believed he would get sick if he ate and lived cleanly.
A few months ago, the villagers of Dejgah persuaded Mr. Haji to take his first bath, and he agreed. But just a few months later, Mr. Haji passed away .
In 2009, The Hindustan Times also wrote about a man named Kailash 'Kalau' Singh in a village on the outskirts of Varanasi, India, who hadn't bathed in over 30 years. Every evening when the villagers gathered, Kalau would light a bonfire, smoke marijuana, and stand on one leg to pray.
"It's like using water to wash yourself. Washing with fire helps kill all the bacteria and infections in the body," Kalau explained.
