India probes identity card for monkey god Hanuman

[Devil Soul]

The card showed a picture of the monkey god, complete with iris scan and fingerprints
Authorities in India are investigating how Hanuman, the monkey god, has been issued a biometric identity card.

The card photo features the character from the Hindu epic Ramayana wearing gold and pearl jewellery and a crown.

It emerged when a postman attempted to deliver the card, but could not find a Hanuman at the address.

When he looked at the photograph he realised it was probably a prank. It is not clear who the iris scan and fingerprints on the card belong to.

The card lists Hanuman as "Pawan-ji's" son (the god was known as son of Pawan in Hindu mythology) and lists a mobile phone number and an address in the western state of Rajasthan.

Hanuman is generally depicted with a human body, a red monkey's face and a tail. There are temples dedicated to Hanuman all over the country.

Postman Heeralal Saini, who was given the card for delivery, returned it to the post office after he failed to find "Pawan-ji's son Hanuman" and the phone number listed on the card did not connect, an official in Rajasthan's postal department told BBC Hindi.

The card will now be returned to the Bangalore office of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), he said.

Who is Hanuman?

The monkey god Hanuman is a popular Hindu deity
Part human-part monkey, Hanuman is a central character in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is generally depicted as a man with the face of a monkey and a long tail.

Often described as the "son of Pawan", the Hindu god for wind, Hanuman is known for his extraordinary daring feats, strength and loyalty.

The Ramayana describes him as an ideal devotee of Lord Ram. According to the epic, Hanuman and his vaanar sena - an army of monkeys - help Ram in his battle against Ravana, the Sri Lankan demon king who kidnaps his wife Sita.

According to legend, Hanuman could enlarge his body at will, fly across the ocean, carry a mountain on his palm and burn down large parts of Lanka with his tail on fire.

Hanuman's followers believe that worshipping him will liberate them from fear and danger.

The local centre and the operator who issued the card will be identified and punished, deputy director general of UIDAI Ashok Dalwai said.

"This is a deliberate mischief on the part of the operator. He will be removed permanently and the enrolment agency will be penalised.

"The process of identifying the operator and the agency is on. It will not take time for us to identify. But I must also point out that such instances are few given the vast number of cards we process," he added.

India launched the huge national identity scheme aimed at cutting fraud and improving access to state benefits in 2010.

The scheme aims to issue an ID card with a 12-digit unique number to all of India's 1.2 billion citizens with details of their biometrics - including an iris scan, fingerprints and photographs.
BBC News - India probes identity card for monkey god Hanuman

 

[raja hindustani]

ye to lolwa ho gaya

 

[zip]

But the person who gave iris scan and finger prints cant have another card for himself ..it can be easily traced back where the specifications for this card is uploaded ..

 

[Al Bhatti]

The cards are printed on a slightly thick paper. It is not a chip ID card.

 

[Iggy]

The cards are printed on a slightly thick paper. It is not a chip ID card.

Its not the card that matter, its the unique identity number.. Your whole details can be fetched with that number like retina print, thumb print, drivers license number, ration card number etc etc..

 

[TankMan]

Atleast now we have a phone number for Hanuman, imagine how useful that would be!

On a more serious note, I'm thinking it's most probably a prank by someone at the office that makes these cards. Anyways, they should probe it and thank whoever's behind it for giving us a good laugh.

 

[Sugarcane]

But the person who gave iris scan and finger prints cant have another card for himself ..it can be easily traced back where the specifications for this card is uploaded ..

biometrics systems works on proximity not 100% match and i don't think the issuing authority will be validating every new thumb impression with millions in their database to find duplicate as it's not feasible.

@ Topic: If it's just printing without any entry into system than it's not big issue

 

[zip]

biometrics systems works on proximity not 100% match and i don't think the issuing authority will be validating every new thumb impression with millions in their database to find duplicate as it's not feasible.

@ Topic: If it's just printing without any entry into system than it's not big issue

But anyway if photo and other digital signatures are not matching no one can mis use this card ...though we cant rule out multiple cards as you say ..but there is practically no use of such multiple cards ..

 

[possumlot]

It is interesting how "Hunuman" became a monkey god.

In valmiki Ramayan his tribe is mentioned as "Van-ra" which meant Jungle livers or Jungle tribe. Hanuman in sanskrit means man with a broken Jaw or deformed jaw. Its the combination of these two factors which was translated by later "scholars " to mean monkey tribe and Monkey king and monkey god.

Van-vas means Jungle exile.
Van-ras means Jungle tribe.
Van-devi - Jungle goddess

Since 2000 years back people found it difficult to believe that real people actually lived in the jungles, they though only monkeys and animals could live in the jungle.

 

[livingdead]

biometrics systems works on proximity not 100% match and i don't think the issuing authority will be validating every new thumb impression with millions in their database to find duplicate as it's not feasible.

@ Topic: If it's just printing without any entry into system than it's not big issue

UID authority said they will find the contractor/agency that issued it and bar them, finding the prankster is difficult.

 

[Al Bhatti]

biometrics systems works on proximity not 100% match and i don't think the issuing authority will be validating every new thumb impression with millions in their database to find duplicate as it's not feasible.

Here in UAE if an applicant cancels his Visa and Emirates ID card, and comes back on a new visa and applies for an Emirates ID card, the Emirates ID personal will not ask if he had been in UAE before or not. They will simply take the finger print scans of the ten fingers and the sides of the palms as usual procedure and search in the records and the applicant gets his new ID card with the same old number that he had earlier.

 

[livingdead]

It is interesting how "Hunuman" became a monkey god.

In valmiki Ramayan his tribe is mentioned as "Van-ra" which meant Jungle livers or Jungle tribe. Hanuman in sanskrit means man with a broken Jaw or deformed jaw. Its the combination of these two factors which was translated by later "scholars " to mean monkey tribe and Monkey king and monkey god.

Van-vas means Jungle exile.
Van-ras means Jungle tribe.
Van-devi - Jungle goddess

Since 2000 years back people found it difficult to believe that real people actually lived in the jungles, they though only monkeys and animals could live in the jungle.

2000 years back.. lot of people lived in jungles... pretty sure if you travel from one big human settlement to another in India, you will go via jungle in a very slow and agonising journey and more often than not, meet people in jungles.

Another reason could be valmiki was a north Indian ... and it was not so subtle racism (calling south Indians monkeys and lankans.. demons)

 

[gau8av]

 

[OrionHunter]

Here's another....

This can only happen in India! Chalte raho Munnabhai! Mera Bharat Mahan!

 

[sree45]

Here's another....

Looks like a edited pic.