Indian Man Spends $4,000 for a Gold Face Mask for Protection During Pandemic

Shankar Kurhade, a 49-year-old Indian businessman who lives in Pune, India, bought the customized pure gold mask for almost $4,000, according to the New York Post.

Kurhade, who owns a company selling industrial sheds, said the mask weighs 50 grams (1.8 ounces). The inspiration to have a pure gold face mask came to the businessman after seeing another man with a silver face mask online.

 

“It is a thin mask and has tiny pores that is helping me to breathe,” the man told Agence France-Presse. “People are asking me for selfies. They are awestruck when they see me wearing the gold mask in markets.”

Despite the online fame he has received, Kurhade said his purpose is not to seek public attention. However, he did admit that the gold mask may not protect him from the virus.

“I didn’t do it for publicity. I’m fond of gold,” he told The Indian Express. “It is not the gold or cloth mask, but social distancing and hand washing that will protect human beings from coronavirus.”

Face masks have become mandatory in India, which now has over 800,000 confirmed cases and more than 21,000 deaths as of this writing, according to Worldometers.

Feature Image Screenshot via South China Morning Post