The Guinness World Record holder for the longest fingernails ever on a single hand has had his claws cut after 66 years.

Shridhar Chillal's extraordinarily long nails have now gone on display at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in New York.

The 82-year-old's talons have a combined measurement of 909.6cm (358.1ins). His thumbnail, the longest of the set, measures an incredible 197.8cm (77.8ins).

The record holder, from Pune, India, stopped trimming his fingernails in 1952 after he was told off by a teacher for messing around with a friend and accidentally breaking the teacher's nail.

Image: Shridhar Chillal started growing his nails in 1952

The teacher said Mr Chillal would never understand what it took to take care of long fingernails and the student set out to prove his teacher wrong, going on to dedicate his life to taking care of his claws.


"I don't know whether the teacher is dead now or not but I would definitely like to say that the thing for which you scolded me, I took it as a challenge and I have completed the challenge and now, I am here," he said.

Image: The nails are being displayed at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in New York

Mr Chillal said he did not take the decision to part ways with his nails lightly.

"When I decided to cut my nails, it was difficult for me to make this decision," he said.

"But when I realised that after cutting my nails, my nails will be at Ripley's Believe It or Not! and they're going to maintain it very nicely and for a lifetime, then I felt like I was doing the right decision and that's why I decided to cut my nails."

Despite Mr Chillal's fingernails causing him to lose function in his left hand due to their weight and length, and his fingers being permanently fused together, he went on work as a photographer for a government agricultural magazine for 22 years.

He also married and had two children, and now has three grandchildren.