Indian politician wears gold shirt
Pankaj Parakh, a municipal corporator, wears a shirt made of gold as he walks with his bodyguards to attend his birthday celebrations in Yeola, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra on August 8, 2014. Reuters

Indian politician, Pankaj Parakh, celebrated his 45<sup>th birthday in grand style by adorning a 4kg, 130,000-pound, custom-made, 18-22 carat gold shirt on Friday (8 August).

The politician, who quit high school in Grade 8 and made a fortune out of a garment business, said gold has always mesmerized him.

"Gold has always fascinated me since I was five years old and studying in school. Over the years, I have become passionate about this royal metal. I have got this special shirt stitched to mark my 45th birthday this Friday," said Parakh, as reported by NDTV News.

The gold-laden shirt has been designed in Nashik, a city in the Western Indian state of Maharashtra. The jewels were added on in Mumbai by a team of 20 select craftsmen, who laboured over the last two months, putting in a total of 3,200 hours to bring the project to completion.

The politican's penchant for gold played out at his big day too.

Parakh reportedly adorned more gold than his wife on his wedding day.

"For my marriage 23 years ago, many guests considered me an embarrassment as I sported more gold than the bride," said an enthusiastic Parakh.

Parakh was quick to shun critics and claimed that his financial accounts are in check and he is willing to submit detailed receipts towards any income tax inquiries.

India Gold