A team of doctors in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district hospital removed a 16-inch gourd from the back of a farmer after a 2-hour operation. The surgery took place on July 21.

The man, who was brought in from Khajuraho in critical condition, was suffering from severe abdominal pain.

After examining the patient, the doctors discovered that a gourd had entered his body through the rectum, causing internal injuries.

The surgical team, led by Dr Nandkishore Jatav, performed the complex operation and extracted a 16-inch gourd from the patient's body. The patient is out of danger now.

How the bottle gourd entered the man's body is not yet clear.

While there is a possibility that the patient might be suffering from a mental illness that led to this act, the matter is still under probe.

During the operation, the doctors noted that the gourd had caused a rupture in the patient's internal membranes.

"The night before last, a patient from the Khajuraho area arrived with abdominal pain. Around 3.30 am, he first went to the Mission Hospital, where the doctor refused to treat him. Subsequently, he came to the district hospital. Upon examination, it was found that he had inserted a gourd into his rectum. He was admitted and operated on, during which the membrane ruptured. With the assistance of two other doctors, a gourd approximately one and a half feet long was removed," Dr Jatav told

"The patient has not disclosed whether he inserted the gourd himself or if there was another reason," he added.

Source: India Today