- Title: Ash smeared naked holy men huge draw at India's Kumbh mela
- Date: 17th January 2019
- Summary: A GROUP OF HINDU HOLY MEN WALKING AROUND THE AKHARAS OR MAKESHIFT PAVILIONS OF THE HOLY MEN AND THEIR DISCIPLES PAVILIONS AT THE KUMBH CITY ERECTED ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVERS GANGES, YAMUNA AND MYTHICAL SARASWATI HOLY MAN WEARING ROSARY BEADS ON HIS HEAD AND BODY SITTING IN PRAYER BY THE ROADSIDE FACE OF THE HOLY MAN AND A DISCIPLE TOURIST BOWING DOWN IN PRAYER A NAGA SADH
- Embargoed: 31st January 2019 05:38
- Keywords: naked holy men India Kumbh mela
- Location: PRAYAGRAJ, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
- City: PRAYAGRAJ, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0019XJ3DY1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS NUDITY
Ash smeared and dreadlocked Naga sadhus or Hindu holy men, wearing just rosary beads and garlands, smoking wooden chillums (cigars) with dreamy eyes, are a huge draw at this week's Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious festival.
Sitting behind smoke screens in a state of trance, the holy men have converged on the northern Indian town of Prayagraj.
Many of the ascetics, who worship the god Shiva, belong to monastic orders called Akharas and live in remote caves, stepping out for the Kumbh Mela, generally held once every three years in four cities.
They say that the current festival, held at the confluence of holy rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, is also a confluence of the Hindu holy men from not just India but from all over the world.
Most of the Nagas enter the lifecycle of an ascetic in their early teens, leaving behind their families and worldly possessions to answer the call of Shiva, and follow in his footsteps - devoting their lives in his prayers.
They renounce their own friends and families to embrace the circle of fellow Nagas - immersing themselves in deep meditations, rigorous yoga, learning religious rituals and scriptures and seeking highest form of spirituality.
It takes six years of celibate life, 12 years of rigorous prayers to Lord Shiva before an ascetic is conferred the revered title of a Naga.
At Prayagraj, the hermits are gathered in monastic tents, wherein they are quite often joined by devotees, from all over the world. Some visit the chillum smoking holy men for spiritual guidance while some are there simply to witness an unconventional experience - awestruck at their extra ordinary endurance.
Devout Hindus believe interacting with the Nagas is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The festival, which is more than 2,000-years-old, is a meeting point for Hindu 'sadhus' (Hindu holy men), some of whom live in forests or Himalayan caves. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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