In 2015, the story of Arshid Ali Khan, a 14-year-old boy from Punjab, India, attracted international attention after surgeons removed an unusual, approximately seven-inch (18-centimeter) fleshy appendage that had grown from his lower back.

For years, the unusual growth had profoundly affected his life. Arshid had difficulty walking and was dependent on a wheelchair. At the same time, some people in his community regarded him as a reincarnation of Hanuman, the Hindu deity traditionally depicted with a tail, and visited him seeking blessings.

An unusual condition from birth

Arshid had been born with the appendage in the Chandigarh area of Punjab. Reports from 2014 described it as approximately 18 centimeters long.

At that time, doctors had not established a definitive diagnosis for the underlying condition. Some physicians believed the growth was associated with an abnormality of the spine, while other reports suggested a possible form of spina bifida known as meningocele.

Therefore, it would be inaccurate to state as a confirmed medical fact that Arshid had a specific form of tethered spinal cord or that the growth itself was definitely an extension of his spinal cord. Those possibilities were discussed by doctors in contemporary reports, but the diagnosis was not clearly established in the sources available.

From being worshipped to seeking medical treatment

Arshid became known locally as “Balaji,” and some residents considered him a manifestation of Hanuman because of his unusual appearance.

His home reportedly became a place where people came to see him and ask for blessings. Arshid himself said that he considered the appendage a gift from God, although he also experienced significant physical difficulties.

By 2014, doctors were recommending that the growth be removed because of the problems associated with his condition, particularly his difficulty walking. However, the family was initially concerned about the risks of surgery.

Eventually, the family found a medical team willing to undertake the complicated procedure.

A seven-hour operation

In 2015, Arshid underwent surgery at Fortis Hospital in Mohali, Punjab.

According to reports from Hindustan Times and other contemporary outlets, the operation lasted approximately seven hours. The surgical team was led by Dr. Ashis Pathak, Director of Neurosurgery at Fortis Hospital Mohali.

The surgeons removed the fleshy appendage, which was described in contemporary reports as approximately seven inches long.

The procedure was not simply a cosmetic operation. Reports stated that doctors were concerned about the relationship between the growth and the underlying spinal structures and wanted to prevent further problems while improving Arshid’s ability to walk.

A new chapter after surgery

The operation was reported as successful.

Arshid’s grandfather, Iqbal Qureshi, expressed his gratitude to the medical team, saying the family hoped the procedure would allow the boy to live a more normal life.

Arshid himself was reportedly happy with the result. He had previously said that he did not like being treated as a deity and considered himself an ordinary child. After the surgery, he reportedly looked forward to being able to live more like his peers.

The surgery also changed the way the public viewed him. The religious significance that some followers had attached to his unusual physical feature was closely connected to the presence of the appendage itself.

What science can—and cannot—say about his case

Arshid’s story is frequently described online as the removal of a “human tail.” Medically, however, caudal appendages are a group of rare congenital abnormalities with different possible causes, and not every structure described as a “human tail” is literally a vestigial animal tail.

In Arshid’s particular case, contemporary reports did not provide enough evidence to establish precisely what anatomical abnormality caused the growth. Some physicians suspected a spinal defect, but a definitive diagnosis was not consistently reported.

What is well documented is that Arshid was born with an approximately 18-centimeter appendage, experienced significant difficulty walking, and eventually underwent a seven-hour surgical procedure at Fortis Hospital Mohali in 2015 to have it removed.

His case remains one of the more unusual examples of congenital spinal and caudal abnormalities reported in the media—and a reminder that behind a sensational physical difference can be a very real medical problem affecting a person’s mobility and quality of life.

Sources

• Hindustan Times / ANI — “Indian boy hailed as ‘monkey god’ has his tail removed, loses status,” July 4, 2015.
• The Mirror — “Boy born with ‘tail’ loses ‘monkey god’ status after it’s removed so he can walk,” July 3, 2015.
• Mid-Day — “‘Monkey boy’ worshipped as god in Mohali loses his tail,” July 5, 2015.
• Medical Daily — “Indian Teen With 7-Inch ‘Tail’ Is Worshipped Like a God by Locals,” June 18, 2014.
• The Korea Times — “12-year-old Indian boy with tail growing on his back hailed as God,” August 5, 2013.