Before I get into the genetic stuff,let me tell you who is Kumbakarnan and what is great in him.
Kumabakarna is a demon (a Rakshasha) and a brother of Ravana.U who slept for six months nonstop Usually, Kumbhakarna means a person who is fond of sleeping. The person who spends most of the time in sleeping is consider as Kumbhakarna.
The story of kumbakarna sleeping is here
Sometime back in Feruary 2007,Aranthangi Tamil Sangam organised a lecture on Kumbakarnan,where a tamil scholar remembered him as the epitome of virtues, integrity, gratitude, valour and bravery.
Now to the genetic angle ,scientists have recently revealed that low expression of MX2 gene exists in White blood cells of Narcoleptics.(people with a sleep disorder who sleep uncontrollably all through the day)[via Scientific blogging]
MX2 is an intracellular protein that plays a role in immunity.
Is it that MX2 is completely lost or some other genes implied in kumbakarna's sleep for six months?