No matter who you are, what you do, or where you live, leaving home without wearing a face mask right now is a complete no-no. So much so that at times we wonder if it has become the new must-have accessory. Brides and grooms are wearing masks that match their wedding outfits, brands are selling them with logos and jewellers are making some with precious metals.
Now, Shankar Kurade from Pimpri-Chinchwad has created a gold mask worth Rs.2.89 lakh.
Maharashtra: Shankar Kurade, a resident of Pimpri-Chinchwad of Pune district, has got himself a mask made of gold worth Rs 2.89 Lakhs. Says, "It's a thin mask with minute holes so that there's no difficulty in breathing. I'm not sure whether this mask will be effective." #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/JrbfI7iwS4
— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2020
#Pune | Shankar, a man from Pimpri-Chinchwad made a #mask of #gold, worth Rs 2.9 lakh pic.twitter.com/AAlC4oHwXO
— Pune Mirror (@ThePuneMirror) July 3, 2020
News18 reports that the man has included tiny holes in the design to facilitate breathing and is not quite sure if his creation helps in preventing the coronavirus.
Needless to say, desi Twitter gave the mask their signature meme treatment while also pointing out the futility of an expensive mask that was most likely unsafe.
— Bhagwan Singh भगवान सिंह 🇮🇳 (@iSinghBhagwan) July 4, 2020
For that worth, he could have donated so many cotton washable layered masks.
— Ashwin (@ashwinyadav_98) July 4, 2020
Money can buy you anything except common sense. 🤷🏼♂️
— 🤔 Car-painter🇮🇳 (@funnyfinha) July 4, 2020
Dispose kab aur kahan karega bhai? 🙏
— 𝐷𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 चौधरी साहब 🚩 (@DiceGameMaster) July 3, 2020
I guess it would have shown more class if instead he had donated 2 lakh masks to poor
— Yash Garg (@yashgarg36) July 3, 2020
Yes because why do you need science with 3 layered or a meltblown layer N95 mask, afterall virus also cares about money.
— Shashwat (@Shashwat014) July 3, 2020
What a waste!
But that doesn't provide any protection from Corona…..!— Guru Bhat 🇮🇳 (@Gurubhat_) July 3, 2020
Reporter : Aapne ye mask kyu banwaya jab ki aap sure bhi nahi hai ki ye kaam karega ya nahi..
Shankar kurade : pic.twitter.com/ZIiOzHBk1L
— Grumpy🌈 (@roooossshhiiiii) July 4, 2020
The Pune Knight Rises pic.twitter.com/Rn04L6sD91
— मंथरा (@MantharaB) July 3, 2020
At a time when almost every designer or brand is jumping on the mask manufacturing bandwagon and offering them in various hues, fabrics, and styles, it is important to keep sight of their primary role i.e. a safety shield from the coronavirus. Unless a mask has the requisite amount of layers or is medical-grade (like N95), it serves no actual purpose.