(MENAFN- Gulf Times) A man said he paid about Rs300,000 ($4,000) for a bespoke gold face mask to protect him from the coronavirus raging in the country.
The precious metal covering weighs 60g and took craftsmen eight days to make, said businessman Shankar Kurhade, from Pune.
'It is a thin mask and has tiny pores that is helping me to breathe, Shankar said.
'I am not sure if it will be effective to protect me from a coronavirus infection but I am taking other precautions, he added.
When going out, the 49-year-old said he likes to adorn himself with gold jewellery weighing a kg, including a bracelet, necklace and rings on each finger of his right hand.
Kurhade - whose company makes industrial sheds - said he got the idea for the gold face mask after seeing a media report about a man wearing one made from silver.
'People are asking me for selfies, he said.
'They are awestruck when they see me wearing the gold mask in markets. 
The mask is made of thin gold leaf and has golden threads to tie it and the cost is roughly equivalent to the cost of over 175,000 ordinary disposable masks or more than 700 personal protective equipment in the market.
Kurade's golden mask is another addition to a handful of Maharashtra men who are passionate about gold, including Pankaj Parakh of Nashik who owns a 4.10kg pure gold shirt costing over Rs13mn  crore which earned him a place in the Guinness World Records.
India has made face masks mandatory in public places in a bid to control the spread of the virus in the country, which has around 650,000 confirmed cases and more than 18,600 fatalities.
l Political and medical circles went into a tizzy after Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol announced yesterday that he has tested positive for Covid-19.
In a tweet, the wrestler-turned-politician said that after he complained of mild fever, he underwent a Covid-19 test which turned out to be positive.
'My condition is stable. I shall recover soon and return to your service again, Mohol said yesterday evening.
He added that during his treatment, he would remain in touch with all government agencies to monitor the coronavirus status in Pune.
With 826 deaths and 25,454 patients, Pune city is the third worst-hit in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Thane.
Mohol becomes the fourth high-profile politician to test positive for the disease after cabinet ministers Jitendra Awhad, Ashok Chavan and Dhananjay Munde, who have all recovered.

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