that wearing mask in public places has become the new normal, a resident of Pimpri-Chinchwad of Pune district, Shankar Kurade has got himself a mask made of gold worth Rs 2.89 lakhs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s a thin mask with minute holes so that there is no difficulty in breathing. I am not sure whether this mask will be effective,” said Kurade. Kurade loves wearing gold ornaments and his hands and neck are loaded with jewellery. This unique idea struck him soon after he saw a man wearing a silver mask on social media. “I saw a video on social media of a man in Kolhapur wearing a silver mask and then an idea struck me to have a mask of gold. I talked to a goldsmith and he gave me this five and a half pound gold mask in a week,” said Kurade. “All my family members love gold, if they too demand it, then I will get it designed for them too. I do not know if I will be infected with coronavirus wearing a gold mask or not, but following all the rules of the government can prevent the spread of virus,” he added. Since childhood, Shankar is very fond of gold ornaments, that is the reason he wears gold rings in all the fingers, gold bracelets on his wrist and huge gold chains around his neck.
