That’s Strange: Allahabad - The Land Of…

...find out as you read!

So, you must be wondering why I took so long to come up with the next in ‘That’s Strange’ series. Well, I have to tell a tale for that. During my voyage to find the next subject of the bizarre series, I came across a tiny village near Allahabad called Mohammad Umri. And I was stumped! Well, this place is not a maze garden or a replica of Delhi’s Jantar Mantar but a strange town inhabited by many Sitas aur Gitas and Rams aur Shyams. Apologies for the clichéd Bollywood references but that’s the way it is in this sleepy hamlet of Mohammad Umri.

Come and walk in to a land where no cosmetic genius or camera-trick blurs your vision but only real life Double Role exists. Welcome to the ‘village of twins’. And if this was not enough, the twins don the same hairstyles and clothes to add more confusion to this genetic puzzle!

Double Whammy

Globally, it is approximately estimated that only one in every 250 to 300 births bear identical twins. At Mohammad Umri, the numbers are indeed surprising. The villagers claim that one in every 10 births bears twins (mostly identical over fraternal) there. This biological phenomenon has gone up significantly in the last 10-15 years. Scratching their heads and fidgeting with the samples of locals’ body fluids, scientists are still clueless. What exactly is the theory behind this strange DNA? The mystery is under wraps till date...

Twice the Fun

However, the locals nurture a myth to this theory. Feeling blessed, they believe that owing to the rich soil of their land, the ratio of producing twins is relatively high here. Curious to know more, I started talking to a few folks on day one of my visit here. Continuing this chat with their twins the next day, I’m still unsure whether they were the same ones I spoke to the previous day or not. God, they were so similar! The oldest twin in Umri is the identical pair of Guddu and Munnu. One is told that even their wives often get confused despite the many years of marriage. From mothers to policemen, it is but common for residents here to scold or punish the wrong twin.

Now that I’ve packed my bags and am all set to leave this wonderland of sorts, I am a tad worried for I do not want to look like a fool by bidding goodbye twice to the same Guddu and many others!

To reach Mohammad Umri, you can book a flight to Allahabad from the nearest airport. Alternatively, you can take a train to Allahabad and then take a local cab to Mohammad Umri. MakeMyTrip also offers several holiday packages to Allahabad.