Heart of India Photo Journal Two: 12 Sadhus, Ect.

Posted By Les Conklin on Dec 4, 2014

By Judy and Les Conklin,

To Hindus, a sadhu is a religious ascetic or holy person who is solely dedicated to achieving liberation from the world through meditation and contemplation. They often wear saffron-colored clothing, symbolising their renunciation of material attachments. They live in caves, forests, and temples all over Nepal and India. There are naked sadhus who wear their hair in thick dreadlocks. Aghora sadhus may claim to keep company with ghosts and live in cemeteries as part of their holy path.

There are 4 to 5 million sadhus in India, supported by donations from many people. However, reverence is not universal in India. Sadhus are often viewed with suspicion, particularly among the urban populations of India. Today, especially in popular pilgrimage cities, where posing as a sadhu can be a means of acquiring income for non-devout beggars; e.g. posing for a picture and then demanding money.

During our trip we visited two of India’s most popular pilgrimage cities, Pushkar and Varanasi. In most cases it was difficult to differentiate “real” sadhus from beggars posing as sadhus. Most stood silently holding a bowl or can for a donation. However, there were several other “sadhus” who asked for money when we took their photograph.

If you are interested in learning more about sadhus, we suggest “Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India” by William Dalrymple. If you are planning a visit to India, be sure to read this book.