Baby born with 14 fingers and 12 toes hailed as Hindu goddess incarnation

19 September 2023 , 17:32

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The baby's mother and father are said to be delighted at the birth (Image: Newsflash)

A baby born with a total of 26 toes and fingers has been described as the incarnation of a Hindi goddess.

The little girl was born in Bharatpur, in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan and has seven fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. Her parents reportedly believe she is the manifestation of Dholagarh Devi, a popular local deity who has a temple close to the baby's birth.

A statue of the goddess depicts her as a young girl with multiple arms. Doctors, however, called the baby's condition a 'genetic anomaly'. The child's mother, 25-year-old Sarju Devi, is said to be extremely happy.

Each hand has seven digits (Newsflash)

Medics called her 'absolutely healthy' (Newsflash)

Her brother told local media: "My sister has given birth to a baby who has 26 fingers, and we are considering it to be the incarnation of Dholagarh Devi. We are very happy," reports MailOnline. While the baby's father, a constable in the Central Reserve Police Force called Gopal Bhattacharya, is also thought to be delighted by his daughter's arrival.

Dr BS Soni, a medic at the hospital where the unnamed baby was born, said: "There is no harm of any kind in having 26 fingers, but it is a genetic anomaly. The girl is otherwise absolutely healthy."

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Each foot has six toes (Newsflash)

Doctors called the birth a 'genetic anomaly' (Newsflash)

It is unknown whether or not the family are planning any surgery to reduce their newborn's toes and fingers. The baby's extra digits are a result of a genetic condition called polydactyly and is very common, especially in certain ethnic groups, according to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

It is usually inherited, with a 50% chance of it being passed on to a child if a parent has an extra finger or toes. Last year also in India, another baby sparked disbelief after it was born with an extra pair of legs and arms.

The tot has been hailed a 'miracle of nature', and has even been compared to a reincarnated version of God. The baby was delivered at the Shahabad Community Health Centre in Hardoi, a district in the north of country Uttar Pradesh, with locals reportedly flocking to the hospital to see the multiple-limbed goddess first-hand once news of the birth spread.

Steven White