Ben Hana or "Blanket Man" is a homeless man who wanders the inner city streets of Wellington, New Zealand. Ben is a local fixture and something of a celebrity and is typically on the footpath

Sidewalk

A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...

 in the precincts of Courtenay Place

Courtenay Place, Wellington

Courtenay Place is the main street of the Courtenay Quarter in the Wellington, New Zealand inner-city district of Te Aro.Courtenay Place is known for its entertainment and nightlife. Many restaurants are open late and most of the bars stay open until dawn...

 which has 24-hour activity.

Ben is a self-proclaimed devotee of the Māori sun god Tama-nui-te-rā

Tama-nui-te-ra

In Māori mythology, Tama-nui-te-rā is the personification of the Sun.Māui decided that the days were too short and caught Tamanui-te-rā with a snare, then beat him to make him travel more slowly across the sky. In some legends Tama-nui-te-rā is the husband of Ārohirohi, goddess of mirages...

, and claims that he should wear as few items of clothing as possible, as an act of religious observance.