- Title: Hindu holy men showcase extreme devotion ahead of India's Kumbh Mela festival
- Date: 11th January 2025
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) HINDU ASCETIC, SHRI DIGAMBAR RAJENDRA PURI, SAYING: “I am Mahakal (another name for Hindu Lord Shiva) Baba. How I am supposed to call myself a Hindu ascetic if I cannot walk on the edge of a sword? So, I walk on this sword’s edge.”
- Embargoed: 25th January 2025 10:40
- Keywords: Hindu holy men India Kumbh Mela Naga sadhu Prayagraj Shiva Uttar Pradesh ascetics chillum dance offerings prayers procession religion saints smoke spiritual sword trident yoga
- Location: PRAYAGRAJ, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
- City: PRAYAGRAJ, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA002245111012025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS NUDITY AND PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
Ash smeared and dreadlocked Hindu holy men donning rosary beads and garlands were showcasing their extreme devotion on Friday (January 10) ahead of India's Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious festival, in the northern city of Prayagraj.
Shri Digambar Rajendra Puri, a 'Naga Sadhu', or ascetic holy man, showcased an act involving wrapping his genitals around a sword and having another ascetic balancing on a wooden rod attached to his genitals - all in an apparent show of phallic strength.
Other ascetics show their devotion by taking a vow to remain standing for years, or tying their hand to a pole that has not been brought down for years with the belief that it will contribute to the betterment of the human race and peace.
"Sometimes, there is inflammation and swelling in my feet, and sometimes it is painful, but I have to endure and still fulfil my pledge," said Rupesh Puri Khandeshwari Baba, who has vowed to remain standing for 12 years and has already done so for six years.
"I do everything in my daily routine while standing," he added.
Many of the ascetics, who worship the Hindu Lord 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 different holy cities, Prayagraj being one of them.
The festival, which is more than 2,000-years-old, is a melting pot of religion and culture and a meeting point for Hindu ascetics at the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
During the festival, some seek spiritual guidance from the ascetics while others are there simply to witness an unconventional experience. Devout Hindus believe interacting with the 'Naga Sadhus' is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“It is very amazing because it is very unique to us and me also because I have never seen that type of arrangement in my life," said Supriya Singh, a college student visiting the Kumbh Mela from the holy city of Varanasi.
The six-week-long Kumbh Mela festival gets underway on Monday (January 13) and will run until February 26, 2025.
It is anticipated to draw pilgrims from around the globe, with authorities estimating that up to 450 million people, including over one million international tourists, will gather to bathe at the sacred confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
(Production: Bhushan Kumar, Sunil Kataria) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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