Naga sadhu’s In Kumbh Festival-2013-India
Kumbh Festival- Kumbh means Water pot or Vessel.Kumbh Festival is one of the Biggest Saint Festival in the World where Millions of Saints from every part of The World come to take bath in the Holy River “Ganga”.I am happy that i got the opportunity to visit this Festival on 12th Feb 2010 and i am happy to share with you all.
Kumbh festival is organized in every 4 years at 4 different locations viz Nasik,Haridwar,Allahabad and Ujjain.Once happened at a location comes after 12 years only.This is the time when you can see the Real Spirituality of India.People not only take bath but also pray to God to forgive them for all the sins they have committed.
First bath is taken by ” Naga Sadhu” who dnt wear anything and keep arms with them and then only other saints enter the river.
NAGA SADHU
Naga Sadhus belongs to different Akharas (which means camps) and each
akharash have their own set of Naga Babas who are living this world in
most unconventional way and follow their own set of religion and
spiritual activities without caring about this world. The identification feature of Naga Sadhus include being naked with long hairs knotted with different metals and body smeared with ashes. Not only this, one can see Naga Sadhus could be seen wearing beads of Rudraksha, believe to posses positive healing power according to Hindu mythology. Not just a few but you can witness Naga sadhus wearing thousand of Rudraksha beads and is believed that wearing Eleven thousand Rudrakhsa beads will help them attain the form of Lord Shankara or Lord Shiva.
While you visit the akharas of Naga Sadhus, one can have a glance of these sadhus smoking “CHILUM” (Marijuana). The consumption of bhang is also considered to be a part of the rituals performed by Naga Sadhus. The sadhus hold the view that doing so will lead them to eternity or nirvana.
The upcoming Kumbh Mela in Allahabad (Prayag) will also bring number of Naga Baba and other Sadhus staying and accommodating themselves in different Akharas.
SADHU
In Hinduism, sādhu (skt साधु sādhu, “good; good man, holy man”) denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa (liberation), the fourth and final aśrama (stage of life), through meditation and contemplation of brahman. Sādhus often wear ochre-colored clothing, symbolizing their sanyāsa (renunciation).
This way of life is open to women; the female form of the word is sādhvī साध्वी.
Etymology
The Sanskrit terms sādhu ("good man") and sādhvī ("goodwoman")refer to renouncers who have chosen to live a life apart from
or on the edges of society in order to focus on their own spiritual
practice.
The words come from the Sanskrit root sādh, which means "reach one's goal", "make straight", or "gain power over". The same root is used in the word sādhana, which means "spiritual practice".
Sadhu rituals
A Sadhu is usually referred to as Baba by common people. The word baba also means father, grandfather, or uncle in many Indian languages. Sometimes the respectful suffix -ji may also be added after baba, to give greater respect to the renunciate. It is also a term of endearment for small boys.
There are 4–5 million sadhus in India today and they are widely respected for their holiness, and sometimes feared for their curses. It is also thought that the austere practices of the sadhus help to burn off their karma
and that of the community at large. Thus seen as benefiting society,
sadhus are supported by donations from many people. However, reverence
of sadhus is by no means universal in India. Historically and
contemporarily, sadhus have often been viewed with a certain degree of
suspicion, particularly amongst the urban populations of India. Today,
especially in popular pilgrimage cities, posing as a sadhu can be a means of acquiring income for non-devout beggars.
There are naked Naga (Digambara, or "sky-clad") Sadhus which are non-shaven and wear their hair in thick dreadlocks, and Jata, who carry swords[citation needed]. Aghora sadhus may claim to keep company with ghosts,
or live in cemeteries as part of their holy path. Indian culture tends
to emphasize an infinite number of paths to God, such that sadhus, and
the varieties that sadhus come in have their place.
Sadhu secrets
Sadhus engage in a wide variety of religious practices. Some practice
extreme asceticism while others focus on praying, chanting or
meditating.
There are two primary sectarian divisions within the sadhu community: Shaiva sadhus, ascetics devoted to Shiva, and Vaishnava sadhus, renouncers devoted to Vishnu and/or his incarnations, which include Rama and Krishna. Less numerous are Shakta sadhus, who are devoted to Shakti.
Within these general divisions are numerous sects and subsects,
reflecting different lineages and philosophical schools and traditions
(often referred to as "sampradayas").
The Dashanami Sampradaya are Smartists;
sadhus in the sect take one of the ten names as an appellation upon
initiation. The sect is said to have been formed by the philosopher and
renunciant Adi Shankara, believed to have lived in the 8th century CE, though the full history of the sect's formation is not clear.
While sadhus ostensibly leave behind traditional caste
at initiation, the caste backgrounds of initiates does influence the
sects into which they are admitted; certain ascetic groups, such as the
Dandis within the Dashnami sampradaya, are composed only of men of brahmin birth, while other groups admit people from a wide variety of caste backgrounds.[citation needed]
Female sadhus (sadhvis) exist in many sects. In many cases,
the women that take to the life of renunciation are widows, and these
types of sadhvis often live secluded lives in ascetic compounds. Sadhvis
are sometimes regarded by some as manifestations or forms of the
Goddess, or Devi, and are honored as such. There have been a number of
charismatic sadhvis that have risen to fame as religious teachers in
contemporary India (e.g.- Anandamayi Ma, Sarada Devi, Mata Amritanandamayi, and Karunamayi).Becoming a sadhu
Becoming a sadhu is a path followed by millions. It is supposed to be
the fourth phase in a Hindu’s life, after studies, being a father and a
pilgrim, but for most it is not a practical option. For a person to
become sadhu needs vairagya. Vairagya means desire to achieve something by leaving the world (cutting familial, societal and earthly attachments).
A person who wants to become sadhu must first seek a guru. There, he or she must perform 'guruseva' which means service. The guru decides whether the person is eligible to take sannyasa
by observing the sisya (the person who wants to become a sadhu or
sanyasi). If the person is eligible, 'guru upadesa' (which means
teachings) is done. Only then, the person transforms into sanyasi or
sadhu. There are different types of sanyasis in India who follow
different sampradya. But, all sadhus have a common goal: attaining moksha (liberation).
Living as a sadhu is a difficult lifestyle. Sadhus are considered to
be dead unto themselves, and legally dead to the country of India. As a
ritual, they may be required to attend their own funeral before
following a guru for many years, serving him by doing menial tasks until
acquiring the necessary experience to leave his leadership.
While the life of renunciation is described as the fourth stage of
life in the classical Sanskrit literature of the Hindu tradition, and
the members of certain sects—particularly those dominated by initiates
of brahman background— have typically lived as householders and raised
families before becoming sadhus, many sects are composed of men that
have renounced early in life, often in their late teens or early 20s. In
a few cases, those who choose the sadhu life are fleeing from family or
financial situations which they have found to be untenable,[citation needed]
if there is some worldly debt that remains to be repaid, would-be
renunciates are encouraged by their gurus to pay off those debts before
they become sadhus.
Lifestyle
The
ruggedness of the sadhu life deters many from following the sadhu path. Such practices as the obligatory early morning bath in the cold mountains require a detachment from common luxuries. After the bath, sadhus gather around the dhuni, or holy fireplace, and begin with their prayers and meditation for the day.
ruggedness of the sadhu life deters many from following the sadhu path. Such practices as the obligatory early morning bath in the cold mountains require a detachment from common luxuries. After the bath, sadhus gather around the dhuni, or holy fireplace, and begin with their prayers and meditation for the day.
Some sadhus dispense cures to the local community, remove evil eyes or bless a marriage. They are a walking reminder to the average Hindu of Divinity. They are generally allowed free passage on the trains and are a close-knit organization.
Kumbh Mela,
a mass-gathering of sadhus from all parts of India, takes place every
three years at one of four points along sacred rivers in India,
including the holy River Ganges.
In 2007 it was held in Nasik, Maharashtra. Peter Owen-Jones filmed one
episode of "Extreme Pilgrim" there during this event. It took place
again in Haridwar in 2010.
Sadhus of all sects join in this reunion. Millions of non-sadhu
pilgrims also attend the festivals, and the Kumbh Mela is the largest
gathering of human beings for a single religious purpose on the planet. Next Kumbh Mela will start on 27-January-2013 at Allahabad. For Kumbh Mela 2013 shahi snan (bathing) dates. You can see ocean of sadhu's in this kumbh mela
The lives of sadhus in contemporary India vary tremendously. Sadhus live in ashrams
and temples in the midst of major urban centers, in huts on the edges
of villages, in caves in the remote mountains. Others live lives of
perpetual pilgrimage, moving without ceasing from one town, one holy
place, to another. Some gurus live with one or two disciples; some
ascetics are solitary, while others live in large, communal
institutions. For some sadhus the brotherhood or sisterhood of ascetics
is very important.
The rigor of the spiritual practices in which contemporary sadhus
engage also varies a great deal. Apart from the very few that engage in
the most dramatic, striking austerities—for example, standing on one leg
for years on end or remaining silent for a dozen years—most sadhus
engage in some form of religious practice: devotional worship, hatha yoga, fasting, etc. For many sadhus,consumption of certain forms of cannabis is accorded a religious significance.[9]
Sadhus occupy a unique and important place in Hindu society,
particularly in villages and small towns more closely tied to tradition.
In addition to bestowing religious instruction and blessings to lay
people, sadhus are often called upon to adjudicate disputes between
individuals or to intervene in conflicts within families. Sadhus are
also living embodiments of the divine, images of what human life, in the
Hindu view, is truly about — religious illumination and liberation from
the cycle of birth and death.
Though some ascetic sects possess properties that generate revenue to
sustain members, most sadhus rely on the donations of lay people;
poverty and hunger are ever-present realities for many sadhus.
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