Indian-origin man in UK grows world's longest cucumber; says prayer is his secret to success

A 75-year-old Indian-origin Sikh in the English city of Derby has grown a giant cucumber and says praying to it daily has helped the ribbed vegetable grow to a potential world-record size, British media reported.

Raghbir Singh Sanghera, who worked as a farmer in India before coming to the UK in 1991, grew the 129.54 cm (51 inch) cucumber in his greenhouse.

Sanghera, a priest at a local Gurdwara and keen gardener, said the cucumber - whose species has not yet been determined - continues to grow in girth and length.

The current Guinness World Record for the longest cucumber, which was grown in Wales in 2011, is 42.13 inches (107 cm), the BBC reported.

"I have made a seat to sit next to it and where I can see it and watch it," he said.

"I pray that it grows, that it keeps us all healthy and that everybody stays well and happy - it makes me happy seeing it."
"However, it is a fine specimen of its type, and he has done well."