India’s very own Spiderman is all set to come to Delhi next month — and he’ll climb the Qutub Minar.
Jyothi Rai, 22, a former construction labourer, can climb 300 feet high walls without any rock climbing equipment or even a safety harness. “I have been blessed with supernatural powers,” he says. Though he can rival any Hollywood superhero, Rai has never seen any SciFi flick. “I could never afford to watch them,” he confesses.
Based in Karnataka, every Sunday Rai can be seen scaling the walls of the Chitradurga Fort as tourists look on. “I have climbed rocks, walls and buildings in Mumbai, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and now I want to come to Delhi. I am looking forward to climbing the Qutub Minar. We are just waiting for permission from the authorities,” he says.
Rai features this month on Stan Lee’s Superhumans, a show on Discovery Science, and says he wants to climb the Qutub Minar and Taj Mahal in order to earn himself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
“I discovered my ability to walk on walls when I was 16, that too accidentally. I was out of work and in frustration thought of committing suicide. I climbed up a wall to jump from the top, but my swift climb fascinated the onlookers so much that they began clapping. That’s when I realised that there is something unique in me,” he says.
Rai, who can climb 50 feet in six to seven seconds, is inspired by monkeys. “I used to watch monkeys and practiced their style,” he says, adding that he is so grateful for his ‘powers’ that he spends his money feeding monkeys and teaching children how to climb. Rai also feels that part of his ability can be attributed to some divine connection.
"As a kid I used to see Chitradurga Fort in my dreams, though I had never been there." That explains why Rai likes to show his rare ability at the Fort. Rai also says he can climb any wall or building but it's getting permission to climb the walls that stops him from showing his skills to public. Excited about his new show Rai says, "I want to climb every popular and famous building in the country."
Rai, who can climb 50 feet in six to seven seconds, is inspired by monkeys. “I used to watch monkeys and practiced their style,” he says, adding that he is so grateful for his ‘powers’ that he spends his money feeding monkeys and teaching children how to climb. Rai also feels that part of his ability can be attributed to some divine connection.
"As a kid I used to see Chitradurga Fort in my dreams, though I had never been there." That explains why Rai likes to show his rare ability at the Fort. Rai also says he can climb any wall or building but it's getting permission to climb the walls that stops him from showing his skills to public. Excited about his new show Rai says, "I want to climb every popular and famous building in the country."