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Jaipur hotel doorman's 10-inch moustache
fascinates all tourists
by Lokendra Singh

     Jaipur: Though youngsters now rarely have a preference for maintaining moustaches, seen at one time as a sign of male virility, Jaipur's Abdul Hakim is proving to be the exception to the norm with his 10-inch long twirling moustaches. A doorkeeper at a heritage hotel here, Hakim, 50, is turning out to be a major attraction for visitors. On an average, he gets at least one request a day by excited foreign tourists for a photograph with him. Long moustaches have long been a synonym for a Rajasthani male that helps one get identified with Rajasthan's culture. And, Abdul's typical Rajasthani moustache, with long sideburns and its tips twisted skywards, is a centuries-old symbol of bravery and pride along with the turban. At times, Abdul spends several hours tending to his facial hair growth, oiling and massaging it. Today, his long well groomed moustaches are helping him earn a living. "I keep a cloth tied on my moustache in the night. After washing my face, I oil them and again tie a cloth. I open it later and am ready for work," says Hakim. But Adbul is not alone, there are many others employed at heritage hotels spread out across Jaipur city with the basic eligibility of having a long moustache. "In Rajasthan people are famous for their big moustaches. Foreigners feel fascinated towards us and we also feel happy. They want to take photos and we feel really good listening to their praises," said Surinder Singh, another doorman.

      For tourists these doormen open more than just the doors of their hotels. They offer the first, real glimpse of India. "When we come into the hotel we are greeted and the door was opened by a very tall gentlemen with a beautiful uniform, curled up shoes and these beautiful moustaches, all curled up at the ends. We feel so special, so welcome in your country and we'd just like to say thank you very much," said Doris Peters, a British tourist. Growing long moustaches holds an eternal appeal for the people of Rajasthan, though the trend appears to be fast changing with the younger generation especially in cities. But for people like Hakim, who spend hours tending to this facial fetish, the moustache will remain their best claim to fame.
-May 6, 2006

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