Man who has kept a stone in his mouth for 69 years

An unusual and fascinating practice followed for nearly seven decades has drawn attention in Mukudal town of Tirunelveli district, where an elderly man has been keeping a small stone in his mouth continuously since his school days.
Govindaswamy (80), a resident of Balagan Street in Mukudal, had worked in various professions including as an electrician and at a bicycle repair shop in his younger years. Due to age-related limitations, he now manages light household work. What sets him apart, however, is his lifelong habit of keeping a stone in his mouth for the past 69 years.
Recalling how it began, Govindaswamy said that in 1956, while he was studying in Class 6 at the Mukudal Chokkalal School, a teacher had once advised a student with speech difficulty to place a small stone in the mouth and practise speaking. Inspired by this, Govindaswamy and about 10 classmates tried the same exercise.
“After a few days, one student broke a tooth while playing and removed the stone. Gradually, everyone else stopped the practice. But I chose to continue,” he
said.
Govindaswamy added that he never removes the stone, keeping it in his mouth while eating, bathing, working and even sleeping. “Once, while I was asleep, my wife removed the stone and hid it in a rice sack. I searched for it and placed it back in my mouth,” he recalled with a smile.
His nephew Prasad said the family views the habit with curiosity and pride. “My uncle has kept the stone in his mouth since childhood. For us, it is something extraordinary and unique,” he said.
The elderly man’s rare practice has become a talking point among local residents, who describe it as a remarkable personal discipline sustained over a lifetime.