Isla Bennett
Shridhar Chillal's nails, which he grew for 66 years, were over 31 feet long when laid out flat. His longest single nail, his thumbnail, measured 197.8cm (77.87 inches). Chillal's decision to grow his nails was inspired by a scolding from his teacher, whose long nail he had accidentally broken. The teacher told him that he would never understand the effort required to maintain such long nails, so Chillal decided to embark on his own nail-growing journey.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Length | Over 31 feet or 350 inches or 909.6 centimeters |
| Longest single nail | Thumb, 197.8 centimeters or 77.87 inches |
| Time taken to grow | 66 years |
| Time taken to cut | A couple of minutes |
| Time to cut the nails | 11 July 2018 |
| Age when cut the nails | 82 years |
| Hand used | Left hand |
| Reason for growing nails | Scolded by teacher for breaking the teacher's long nail |
| Difficulty in daily life | Difficulty in sleeping, moving hands, and even a gust of wind was alarming |
| Loss of function | Loss of function in his left hand, nerve damage to his left arm, deafness in his left ear |
| Display | Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum in Times Square, New York |
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What You'll Learn
Shridhar Chillal's nails were over 31 feet long
Chillal's longest single nail was his thumbnail, which measured 197.8 centimetres (77.87 inches). His nails, when combined, measured 909.6 centimetres (358.1 inches). This length is equivalent to the height of a three-story building. Chillal's nails were so long that they caused nerve damage to his left arm, resulting in deafness in his left ear. He also experienced disfigurement of his fingers and a loss of function in his left hand.
Despite the challenges posed by his nails, Chillal led a relatively normal life. He had a successful career as a government press photographer, with customised equipment to accommodate his nails when using a camera. He also had a family, including a wife, two children, and grandchildren. However, as he aged, maintaining an ordinary lifestyle became more difficult. Chillal found it hard to sleep, and even a gust of wind caused concern.
In 2018, at the age of 82, Chillal decided to cut his nails. A technician used a power tool to carefully remove them during a nail-clipping ceremony at Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York. Ripley's acquired Chillal's nails and put them on display in a memorial case. Chillal's dedication to growing his nails is remarkable, and his legacy continues to be honoured at the museum.
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Chillal's decision to grow his nails
Shridhar Chillal's decision to grow his nails was prompted by a scolding from his teacher when he was 14 years old. Chillal accidentally broke his teacher's long nail, which was being grown as a cultural tradition in India to signify that the person doesn't need to engage in manual labour. The teacher told Chillal that he wouldn't understand the effort and commitment required to grow and care for long nails. Taking this as a challenge, Chillal decided to grow his nails to prove his teacher wrong.
Chillal dedicated 66 years of his life to growing and tending to his nails, only growing them on his left hand while keeping his right-hand nails trimmed. During this time, he faced various challenges and difficulties due to the length and weight of his nails. He experienced pain, discomfort, and difficulty sleeping, as his nails were extremely fragile and he had to be careful not to break them. As he aged, the nails became even more challenging to manage, impacting his ability to perform daily tasks and causing permanent disability in his left hand.
Despite the hardships, Chillal was proud of his record-breaking nails and even appeared in films and television showcasing them. He also enjoyed perks such as never having to wait in queues. However, as the nails continued to grow, they became increasingly difficult to handle. Decades of carrying the heavy nails had taken a toll on his body, causing nerve damage to his left arm and deafness in his left ear.
Finally, in 2018, at the age of 82, Chillal made the difficult decision to cut his nails. Understanding the historical significance of his achievement, he approached Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York, to memorialize his nails. He wanted to ensure that his nails would be preserved and displayed for people to see. The nail-cutting ceremony, also known as an industrial-strength manicure, was performed by a technician using a power tool to carefully remove the massive lengths of keratin.
Chillal's nails, when laid flat, spanned a length of over 31 feet, equivalent to the height of a three-story building. His longest single nail was his thumbnail, measuring 197.8 centimetres (77.87 inches). While his decision to grow his nails came at a cost, with his left hand permanently handicapped, his achievement is now immortalized at Ripley's, where his severed nails are on display for the world to see.
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The nails were cut at Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum
Shridhar Chillal's decision to grow his nails was inspired by an encounter with his teacher when he was 14 years old. After accidentally breaking his teacher's long nail, which was a sign of social status in India, Chillal was scolded and told that he would never understand the importance of taking care of long nails. This prompted him to start growing his nails, a pursuit that would last for 66 years.
Chillal's nails became a part of his identity, and he even had a successful career as a government press photographer, with customized equipment to accommodate his nails when using a camera. However, as he aged, his long nails made mundane tasks increasingly difficult. The immense weight and length of his nails caused disfigurement of his fingers and loss of function in his left hand, and he also experienced nerve damage in his left arm and deafness in his left ear.
In 2018, at the age of 82, Chillal decided to cut his nails. The historic nail-cutting ceremony took place at Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum in Times Square, New York. A technician used a power tool to carefully remove the nails, which took only a couple of minutes to chop off.
Chillal's nails, laid flat in a memorial case, span a length of over 31 feet, the height of a three-story building. His longest nail, the thumbnail, measured 197.8 centimeters (77.87 inches). The other nails were also impressively long: the index fingernail was 164.5 cm, the middle fingernail was 186.6 cm, the ring fingernail was 181.6 cm, and the little fingernail was 179.1 cm.
After the nail-cutting ceremony, Chillal's hand remained permanently handicapped, unable to open from its closed position and unable to flex his fingers. Despite the challenges, Chillal's dedication to growing his nails is remarkable and has earned him a place in the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, where his nails are forever memorialized.
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Chillal's nails were fragile and caused him pain
Shridhar Chillal, an octogenarian from Pune, India, holds the Guinness World Record for growing the longest fingernails on a single hand. His nails took 66 years to grow and were over 31 feet or 909.6 centimetres long. However, his impressive nails were also a source of fragility and pain.
Chillal's nails were so fragile that he had to be extremely cautious to avoid breaking them while sleeping. In an interview, he revealed that he could not move much and had to wake up every half hour to reposition his hand. The weight of his nails also caused him pain and discomfort. As he aged, maintaining an ordinary lifestyle became increasingly challenging. Simple tasks like sleeping became difficult, and even a gust of wind caused him alarm.
The immense weight of his nails led to disfigurement of his fingers and permanent loss of function in his left hand. Chillal could not open his hand from a closed position or flex his fingers. The nerve damage caused by the weight of his nails also resulted in deafness in his left ear.
Despite the challenges and pain caused by his nails, Chillal was proud of his record-breaking achievement. He even appeared in films and television showcasing his nails, such as Jackass 2.5. On July 11, 2018, Chillal finally cut his nails at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York. His severed nails are now preserved and displayed at the museum, commemorating his dedication and unique legacy.
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Chillal's nails were displayed in a memorial case
Shridhar Chillal's fingernails, which measured over 31 feet in length, were laid flat in a memorial case after he cut them. Chillal's nails were displayed in a memorial case at Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York. The museum acquired Chillal's nails and displayed them as a "unique and one-of-a-kind" exhibit.
Chillal, an octogenarian from India, had not cut his nails in 66 years since 1952. He was inspired to grow his nails after a teacher scolded him for accidentally breaking the teacher's long nail. The teacher told Chillal that he would never understand the importance of what he had done and the commitment it took to grow long nails.
As a result of his dedication, Chillal achieved the Guinness World Record for the longest fingernails ever recorded on a single hand, with a combined length of 909.6 centimetres (358.1 inches). His longest single nail was his thumbnail, which measured 197.8 centimetres (77.87 inches).
Despite facing challenges and physical difficulties due to the weight of his fingernails, Chillal led a normal life with his wife, two children, and grandchildren. However, as he aged, maintaining his nails became more challenging, impacting his sleep and daily activities.
Chillal's historic nail-cutting ceremony took place at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, where his nails were carefully removed with a power tool. The museum honoured his legacy by memorializing his nails, showcasing them alongside other remarkable artifacts from around the world.
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Frequently asked questions
Shridhar Chillal grew his nails for 66 years.
Shridhar Chillal's nails measured over 31 feet or 358.1 inches when laid out flat. His longest single nail, his thumbnail, was 197.8cm or 77.87 inches long.
Shridhar Chillal decided to grow his nails after accidentally breaking his teacher's long nail, which was a sign of social status in India. The teacher told him that he wouldn't understand the importance of taking care of long nails, so Chillal decided to take on the challenge of growing his own.
Shridhar Chillal's nails were removed by a technician wearing a face mask and wielding a power tool during a "nail clipping ceremony" at Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York.
Shridhar Chillal's nails were acquired by the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York, where they are displayed laid flat in a memorial case.
