  The brightest Gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever, GRB 221009A, displays ultra-long
GRB (ULGRB) characteristics, with a prompt emission duration exceeding 1000 s.
To constrain the origin and central engine of this unique burst, we analyze its
prompt and afterglow characteristics and compare them to the established set of
similar GRBs. To achieve this, we statistically examine a nearly complete
sample of Swift-detected GRBs with measured redshifts. Categorizing the sample
to Bronze, Silver, and Gold by fitting a Gaussian function to the log-normal of
T$_{90}$ duration distribution and considering three sub-samples respectively
to 1, 2, and 3 times of the standard deviation to the mean value. GRB 221009A
falls into the Gold sub-sample. Our analysis of prompt emission and afterglow
characteristics aims to identify trends between the three burst groups.
Notably, the Gold sub-sample (a higher likelihood of being ULGRB candidates)
suggests a collapsar scenario with a hyper-accreting black hole as a potential
central engine, while a few GRBs (GRB 060218, GRB 091024A, and GRB 100316D) in
our Gold sub-sample favor a magnetar. Late-time near-IR (NIR) observations from
3.6m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) rule out the presence of any bright
supernova associated with GRB 221009A in the Gold sub-sample. To further
constrain the physical properties of ULGRB progenitors, we employ the tool MESA
to simulate the evolution of low-metallicity massive stars with different
initial rotations. The outcomes suggest that rotating ($\Omega \geq
0.2\,\Omega_{\rm c}$) massive stars could potentially be the progenitors of
ULGRBs within the considered parameters and initial inputs to MESA.
