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Hats off to the man with a 100-pound turban

A widely respected holy man in India is turning countless heads with his gigantic turban that weighs 100 pounds and is as long as 13 Olympic-sized swimming pools when unwrapped.

Avtar Singh Mauni is a devout Sikh living in the town of Patiala. His humongous headgear stretches to a record-breaking 2,116 feet and takes up to six hours to put on, Barcroft reports.

The 60-year-old has spent the past 16 years expanding the size of his tremendous turban and says he doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

“Until the time I have no more strength in my limbs I will carry this turban on my head,” Mauni said. “I don’t consider it to be a burden. I’m most happy when I wear it.”

Simple tasks like passing through doorways and getting in and out of his car have become extraordinarily hard for the man.

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Avtar Singh poses in front of the holy Sikh Gurudwara
Avtar Singh poses in front of the holy Sikh Gurudwara.barcroftindia.com
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Avtar Singh prepares to wear a huge traditional Punjabi turban called "pagdi."
Avtar Singh prepares to wear a huge traditional Punjabi turban called "pagdi."barcroftindia.com
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“On the rare times I don’t have my turban on I keep getting this feeling of being incomplete, that some part of me is missing,” Mauni said.

“I get afraid that I may fall and I keep wondering ‘Have I lost something, where is my turban?'”

When the Pubjab preacher is completely decked out in his religious attire, he becomes additionally weighed down by his sword and heavy bangles which weigh in at 87 pounds, according to Barcroft.

Singh’s hefty headgear can make riding a bike difficult, but the holy man says he feels incomplete without it.barcroftindia.com

Mauni is a member of the Nihangs, which is a prestigious warrior order of Sikhs in India and likes to hit the streets on his motorcycle, happily greeting locals.

“When I got out a huge crowd gathers around me,” he said.

“Some are amazed beyond belief and tell me ‘You are great for carrying such a large turban. You must have been blessed with lots of energy.'”

The magnificent headgear has not only drawn the attention of locals, but also high-ranking members of the Sikh community as well.

“These days many Sikh children choose to cut their hair and have forgotten to wear turbans,” said local Sikh, Gurpreet Singh.

“The Sikh community can learn a lot from him and our children can learn that they should grow their hair and wear a turban.