Meeting Sadhus at Kumbha Mela
Bro I saw photos of these scary sadhus at Kumbha Mela - aren’t these the cannibals who eat humans & do dirty nasty stuff?
No that’s the lie you see in Western horror & Bollywood propaganda movies but in reality, these odd-looking people are why you’re still alive so here’s the tea.
There are different types of sadhus you’ll meet in Hinduism, from Naga to Aghori, but in essence, all of them see Shiva or the deity their group worships in every single being & thing.
They have taken on the toughest path in Hinduism, which means renouncing all the material attachments & embracing things we might consider unclean.
So their hair is let loose to grow into thick jata like Shiva, they smear their bodies with ash or vibhuti to remind themselves of their temporary lives after which their bodies will be turned to ashes, and they wear little to no clothes, embracing nakedness to stay humble in front of others.
They hold skulls of the dead & meditate on crematorium grounds because unlike us, they see death as normal so they embrace it. Hence, Aghor means that which is beyond fear.
These sadhus are not the mindless flesh-eating murderers you’ve been made to think, they normally do not consume human flesh but when they do it, along with eating feaces, it is of the dead remains or their own kind or the remains of those who have voluntarily asked for their bodies to be utilised accordingly - with the meat acting not for their pleasure but as mere minimal sustenance of nature.
Not only are they the pookiest people, some of the Akharas like Naga Sadhus were the first Hindu ancestors to learn martial art & pick up weapons to protect our temples against Mughal tyrants & invaders in stories of Somnath, and without their fights in the past, India would’ve become an Islamic country … so we should thank them for preserving our Dharma.
These Sadhus are our heroes & the next time you see one, don’t be scared because they are not evil spirits - they are here to protect you against the darkness by being the ones who embrace it.
So just give them a namaste & bow in front of them. Show them the utmost respect they deserve & and they will give you their blessing.