Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The Sadhus (Holymen)
Tags : The Sadhus (Holymen)
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| A group of Sadhus taking rest. |
The Sadhus (holymen or godmen) are respected for their status of holiness in Nepal and India. A large number of Indian Sadhus visit Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, to pay homage to Lord Shiva at Pashupatinath temple especially on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivaratri day (the great night of Lord Shiva).
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| An elderly Sadhu displays his about 12 ft long jata (thick hair locks). |
During the Mahashivaratri day the Sadhus are treated as guests and provided with free of cost foods, marijuana, hemp, fuel wood for the Dhuni (ritual altar fire ) and shelter in and around Pashupatinath temple premises. The visiting Sadhus are taken care of by the Nepalese authorities concerned . After the Mahashivaratri day they are sent off with some money for covering the travel expenses to reach their destination in India.
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| A foreigner boy (c) posing photographs with a Sadhu. |
The Sadhus can be seen smoking marijuana and hemp for religious purposes and live happy at the Pashupatinath temple premises. Mahashivaratri day is observed as a festival and a sacred and big day in Nepal and India.
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| A sadhu smoking Ganja (marijuana). |
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| Sadhu blows smoke of Ganja (marijuana). |
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| A Sadhu smoking Ganja (marijuana) . |
Marijuana, hemp and hashis are stricly prohibited for business transaction in Nepal. But during the Mahashivratri day the Sadhus are freely provided with marijuana and hemp openly for religious purposes. It is not allowed to the general people to smoke such things in public.The devotees and the Sadhus smoke Marijuana and hemp called '' Kakad'' in their language.The general people those who are addict of smoking of marijuana and hemp are known as ''Ganjadi". Those ganjadi ( smoking hemp or marujuana lovers) join in religious prayer (Bhajan) on the special occasion and they are serve free of cost smoking of Kakad.The cultivation of marijuana is strictly prohibited by the Nepalese government but it is grown extensively in the Terai belt (northern Nepal-India border) or in remote forest areas in the Nepal and India.Time and again the TV and newspapers report about destroying large quantity of the marijuana and hemp by the Army, Police and Social Workers.
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| Sadhu blows smoke of Ganja (marijuana) . |
The Sadhus are also called Babajis and Sanyashis, Rishimuni too, who renounce all earthy property and sex life. And they live in caves, forest areas and temples in Nepal and India. The Sadhus are Hindu by religion and they are seen at the various temples mostly at Pashupatinath temple's premises in Kathmandu.
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| A woman offer milk to a Sadhu (a holy man). |
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| A sadhu demonstrates yoga Siri aashan- standing on his head while a boy looks on. |
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A sadhu disply
over 10 ft his long tuppi (pigtail) of jata ( thick hair locks)
in a greeting
gesture
(namaste) position.
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| A Sadhu smearing his body with ashes while preparing Ganja (in his palm) for smoking. |
Nepal does not have a large number of the Sadhus whereas there are over six million Sadhus of different sects in India alone. The Sadhus are categorically divided as Nagaababa, Aghoribaba, Sadhu and Sanyashi. Nagababas live naked. They never shave and wear matted hair (thick locks-jata) and carry trishul (trident) or Chimta. Aghoribabas claim to keep company with ghosts and they live near pyres as part of their holy practice.
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| A Sadhu during make up his face. |
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| A sadhu adjust his crown of rudrachhe ( aneadsvariety). |
In Hindu culture do exist a number of paths designed to reach the Godhead. After becoming Sadhus they give up everything, like their family and sexual attachments etc. They live on one time simple meal a day. They have their own way of life-style as distinct from the life-style of normal people. They live in jungle, caves and temples. They live on public donation. Mainly on the donation from the devotees who visit them at the temple areas. And they also move going around for begging alms (viksha). They collects rice, bread, fruit, money etc as parts of the alms.
It is believed that the austerity practice by the Sadhus help them to put an end to their Karma (wordly destiny). Some Sadhus live in the mountain or in jungle for years at a stretch of time. During those days they eat only wild fruits and roots and other tuber varieties.
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| A sadhu piercing his tongue with 10-inches long iron trident. |
Some Sadhus are good horologists and are capable of telling people's fate and fortune. However, the people must be very careful while dealing with them (Sadhus). It is believed that if they got angry their curse will work. So the people always keep them pleased and satisfied.
According to the Hindu mythology in The Ramayan and The Mahabharat, Sadhus like Valmiki, Viswamitra and Durbasha are believed as having god like power.
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| A Sadhu sits next to a big bell. |
The austerity of a Sadhu's life requires him to take compulsory early morning ritual bath at the holy river even in the snowy mountain areas. After taking their ritual bath. The Sadhus gather around the Dhuni (sacred fire altar) and they offer their prayers and meditate.
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| A group of Sadhus sit before Dhuni ( a ritual fire). |
Sadhus live in Ashrams (hermitage) and temples even in the midst of major urban centres, huts on in the edges of villages and caves in the remote mountain areas. Others keep moving in perpetual pilgrimage without staying for a long time at one place. Some others live in large and common sacred abode called ''Math''.
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| A general view of Pashupatinath temple. |
A Sadhu occupies a unique and important place in the Hindu society, particularly in a village ''Math"' and small town and they are closely tied to tradition. In addition to their giving religious instruction and blessings to lay people, the Sadhus are often called on to adjudicate disputes among different religious sects and they also deal with family disputes. The Sadhus are also regarded as those who explain the philosophy of Hinduism whose aim is to help men and women attain to enlightenment and salvation of the soul from the cycle of birth and death.
Millions follow the groups of the Sadhus. However, becoming a Sadhu is difficult task.
In early 1970 - Youngsters in the western countries were inspired by a Sadhu’s free life-style. A large number of people from Europe and the United States of America had started to follow the life-style of Sadhus. During those days, they were known as ''Hippies'' who had been visiting Nepal and India and other Asian countries. They used to dress like Sadhus smoking marijuana, hemp and hashish and they walk barefoot and the male with long hair or wear matted hair, thereby spending their life in a happy manner. Hippies use to smoking marijuana as it is a gift (prasad) of Lord Shiva and before amoking marijuana they used to say ''Jaya Shambhu".
Text and Pics by Devendra Man Singh.
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