Catch the Naga Sadhus If You Can

The chants of  "Har Har Mahadev"  resonates in the wee hours of a chilly September morning as naked sadhus smeared with ash all over their body , carrying traditional weapons , performing acrobatic acts march with pride towards the river Godavari in  Nashik for a holy bath . Welcome to the largest religious gathering in the world , The Kumbh Mela -  perhaps the wildest party on the earth which goes on for a duration of two months. Known as Naga Sadhus , these mystic ascetic saints reside in the caves of Himalayas and only visit the civilization during the Kumbh Mela.

SHIVA , The Adi Yogi

The Naga Sadhus , strive to follow the hard path laid by the original yogi of the universe - Lord Shiva. Shiva , the origin of spirituality , made cremation grounds his home. Bored with the society at large, he smeared ash all over his body, tied his hair into a Jata (matted hair) , and with a demeanour of  a rowdy, stayed limitlessly blissful, oblivious to the demands of the society. This anti-social character who is a combination of a destroyer , yogi , dancer(Nataraja) and god has devotees in sadhus and normal people alike.

Symbolism of smearing ash

Everything is created from dust and eventually everything will be reduced to dust. The only two eternal states are birth and death , and no matter what you do in between , you will be reduced to ashes , so death is a certainty. Perhaps death is the truth, that we are scared to speak , face or hear , and if any being accepts this truth , he can live a life of eternity. For this very reason , Agoras and Naga Sadhus smear their bodies with ash , depicting that they have accepted death and they don't fear it. Shiva , meditated in cremation grounds , as it is the only place with an intensity that even birth can't match and smearing ash symbolizes renouncing all materialistic pleasures and the senseless demands of the society. 

Scientifically speaking , smearing ash covers all the pores in the body and one does not feel hot in summer and cold in winter.

Of Chillum and salvation

When  asked about the non restrained use of Ganja , the Naga sadhus and aghoris (who consume human meat as well) responded that smoking marijuana is a fundamental aspect of their ceremonies and unites them with God.  They also stated that it helps in getting rid of the miseries of life and death , and keeps their focus intact in achieving salvation , and many eventually stop feeling the need to smoke.

KUMBH, A confluence of divinity and craziness

The origin of the festival can be found in the legend of Samudra Manthan ,  a battle between Asuras and Devas for Amrita, the drink of immortality. During the churning of the ocean, the amruta that was produced , was placed in a pot (kumbha). In order to prevent the asuras from seizing the amrita , Indra spills it at four places - Haridwar(River Ganga) ,  Allahabad(Rivers Ganga and Yamuna), Nashik(River Godavari) and Ujjain (River Shipra). While Kumbha mela is held in each of these places every twelve years , the Ardh Kumbha mela is held once in six years - all based on the zodiacal positions of the Jupiter , the Sun and the Moon.

Its's the Nashik Maha Kumbha Mela ,  The Akharas (meaning wrestling ring) fourteen in number , have already set up their camps , some on the banks of the river Godavari and rest on the hill tops. Around seven of them being shaivites - followers of Lord Shiva , while the rest being Vaishnavite - followers of Lord Vishnu . The Agoras and Naga sadhus belong to the shaivities and remain naked or use only a single piece of cloth to cover their private parts , they observe strict rituals and stay away from materialistic pleasures, the Vaishnavites on the other hand possess worldly objects and lead a life of comfort.

Millions of devotees throng Nashik to take a dip in the river Godavari on the day of Shahi Snan , they all wait on the either side of the path to the river as the Sadhus march in groups. There is also a predefined order in which Sadhus belonging to different Akharas can take the holy dip , the order determined based on the rich heritage of the Akharas. With the chants of "Har Har Mahadev" on their lips , and the customary blowing of conch shell, the sadhus rush forward , few carrying weapons such as Trishul , sword and stick. It looks like a battle scene as they forge forward displaying stunts to showcase their skill and power. Years and years of isolation and survival instincts have rendered their mind and body strong. After a thundering march of about two kilometers , all of them take a breather at an open playground to display acrobatic acts much to the awe of onlookers. Like a small kid running towards the embrace of its mother , the naked warriors then run towards the river in sheer ecstasy , they play , they splash , they pray , they dance in the waters , the joy on their face is priceless - looks like  , they had been waiting for ages to bath , looks like they would have to wait another lifetime to have this bath ,  looks like they have become one with their master - the Adi Yogi , The Lord Shiva.

Once the naked Sadhus have had their share of the divine holy bath , other groups of  come in carts, cars , chariots decorated brilliantly  with each vehicle blaring its own music - some original , some remixed with popular Bollywood music , the head of each group waving at the onlookers like a celebrity. There is a sudden shift from nakedness to prosperity , from isolation to social greed , from mastery over one's self to slavery over one's desires. This contrast , depicting the confusions in the society , to stay naked and oblivious to the demands of the society or to side with it , and satiate our unending desires to acquire people, power and property. The onlookers , continue to enjoy the show  - its similar to their transition in life ,born naked and then transformed into a greedy beast by the society itself.

Finally , millions of devotees get their much awaited chance to take a dip in the waters , which they believe will liberate them from their never ending miseries of life , and the only answer is - to lead the life of the anti-social being - Naga Sadhu.