A contestant in the Longest Moustache competition shows off his lengthy mooch at the Pushkar Mela in Rajasthan, India.
The Rajasthani moustache, "Mooch" is a symbol of pride, valour and bravery, heavily influenced by the Rajput warriors. The association of a man's facial hair to his authority and masculinity is so ingrained that traditionally, Rajputs only shave their moustache in the event of a senior paternal family member's passing. Training the perfect mooch takes meticulous daily grooming which often involves pattern combing with a fine tooth comb, massaging it with mustard or coconut oil, butter and wax among other methods. To this date, the state regularly hosts Longest Moustache competitions at fairs and other local events. The current Guiness World Record holder for the longest moustache is also a Rajasthani man, Ram Singh Chauhan who has been growing his since 1982. We take a look at some of Rajasthan's majestic mooches below.
Intricate twirls perfectly positioned on the cheeks of a Rajasthani man.
The rightful winner of the 2024 Pushkar Mela moustache competition.
Another skilfully groomed moustache framing the apple of the cheeks in a circular pattern.
Heavy, coiled facial hair wrapped in twine and fastened in place with hair nets at the camel festival in Bikaner.
Fanned out in a butterfly-like shape, facial hair that sets like this takes years of training through fine combing and other daily practices.
This high contrast grow out has a striking effect.
A snowy white moustache is just as impressive in elderly men.
A coarser, textures moustache holds its shape in addition to its rugged edge.
A man at the Jaisalmer desert festival in a continous braid wrapped around the back of the ears and across the forehead.
The great lengths of grooming at display with this impressively long moustache at a local competition.
The current Guiness world record holder for longest moustache, Ram Singh Chauhan has been growing his for the last 40 years. His moustache measures an impressive 4.25 metres.
Another image of Ram Singh Chauhan wearing his Guiness World Record medal. In an interview with the BBC he divulged he spends approximately an hour everyday cleaning and combing his moustache. In addition, "I massage it and oil it regularly and I wash it every 10 days which takes a long time," he says.
