A man named Mihailo Tolotos never met a woman in his entire 82-year-old life. His mother had died at the time of birth. What happened in his life after that? Let us know this interesting story.
The Incredible Story: Your first reaction after reading this heading would be that this cannot be possible, right? In the world we live in today, it is almost impossible for men to live without seeing women. It is difficult to even walk ten steps without seeing them anywhere, whether at home, office, street, phone or screen. In such a situation, it seems strange to think that a person can spend his entire life without seeing even a single woman. But this is not a story. There is historical evidence for this and eyewitnesses are also present.
The name of that person was Mihailo Tolotos, who recently died at the age of 82. He had never seen a woman in his entire life. Neither in childhood, nor in youth, nor in old age. His entire life was spent on an island, where there were other men, but no women. There has been a ban on women coming to that place for thousands of years.
It is always forbidden for women to come here!
The name of that place is Mount Athos. This is a land where women are prohibited from coming. This rule is supported by both law and faith. Mount Athos is a monastic area. It is not just a group of monasteries, but an autonomous religious region of Greece. The governance here is based on old monastic laws, which have also been recognized by the government. There is only one strict rule above all the rules – women are never allowed to come inside.
This restriction is called ‘Avaton’. This rule applies to everyone. Tourists, journalists, politicians – no one is exempt from this. Even female animals are not allowed inside. There only one female form is recognized, which is divine. The Virgin Mary is considered the spiritual protector of that land. This rule is not out of any hatred or fear, but is purely for the sake of living a monastic life. Its purpose is to live a life full of prayer, discipline and sacrifice.
Mihailo Tolotos came to this place when he was a newborn baby. His mother died soon after giving birth. Then the saints there brought him to the monastery and brought him up. Mihailo lived there until the end of his life. Their world was very small and similar. Stone buildings, narrow streets, prayer houses, farms and other saints. The day started before the sun rose. Silence was common. Discipline, prayer and rituals were his entire life.
They did not get a chance to go to cities. There were no shops there. There was no conversation with outsiders. News from the outside world came very slowly and sometimes did not come at all. Mihailo Tolotos never felt that not being able to see a woman was a drawback in his life. This was a common truth of his life. Would they have ever thought that they had lost something? It is difficult to guess, but there is no record that Mihailo ever expressed any curiosity, regret or desire about this. The saints who lived with him have remembered him as a calm, gentle and man of deep devotion.
When someone grows up in one environment and never comes out of it, that environment does not seem like a bondage to him. That becomes his world. This kind of loneliness in today’s times is a shocking story. Mihailo Tolotos never considered himself a special person. He never rebelled. His life continued like this. It just seems extraordinary to us, because it is so different from our expectations today.