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To Kumbh Mela with love, all the way from Shanghai

NASHIK: Their list of "likes" is long — sadhus sporting bright saffron with ashes smeared all over, the huge congregation of people from a variety of backgrounds, animals lazing on the roads, a mix of old and new swanky cars zipping past every now and then. 

Their list of "dislike" is brief — not many restaurants in the city offer authentic Chinese food and the dishes available are a tad spicy. 

Meet the group of eight passionate shutterbugs from China who are in the city busy capturing the myriad mood of Kumbh Mela, arguably the biggest religious congregation on the Earth. Life for them, like the lakhs visiting the city these days, revolves around Ramkund, the epicentre of all Kumbh activities, though they are putting up at the lush green Shubham Water Park off the city on Trimbak road. 

The group of eight professional and amateur photographers from Shanghai had done their research on the Kumbh Mela before visiting Nashik. "But we realised the scale of the Mela, not to talk about people's faith in it, only when we came here. The sight of a sadhu with ashes smeared all over is the signature of this faith," said Jeffery Wen, a member of the group. 

Ren Huijun who took the initiative of organising the trip, said she had read about the camel festival in Pushkar, Rajasthan. "But we opted to visit Nashik on learning that the Kumbh Mela will be a bigger event. The people of this country are extremely warm and friendly. Our aim is to capture its culture through our lenses." 

Tang Qindi, on the other hand, was amused by the way the Mela has been organized. "The pilgrims wait patiently for hours in long queues as they visit the temples. We think that their devotion helped them stay patient. Besides, the administration has held the event efficiently. The crowd was huge, but there was no chaos," said Qindi, who has come to Nashik with two of her brothers. 

But on one aspect they were unanimous. "More Chinese restaurants should be opened in Nashik as many tourists from our country will visit this city in near future. Besides, the Chinese food available here has a specific taste and is spicy," was the common refrain.

Nashik Kumbh: Of sadhus and their unique styles that grabbed eyeballs

While Kumbh Mela is generally known for the gathering of millions of devotees as well as sadhus who come to the holy city for shahi snan (holy bath), sadhus with unconventional nomenclature and interesting mannerisms stole the show in Nashik this year. It seemed there was not just fierce rivalry among these sadhus to become the mahamandaleshwars (head of a particular Khalsa), but there was stiff competition to grab maximum eyeballs when it came to  style quotient as well. Here is a lowdown on the style quotient of some of the sadhus, who were seen sporting interesting looks.

Raghavdas Maharaj or Mahant Raghavdas ji Thyagi alias Tatamari Maharaj alias Dhuni Baba

Always covered in a gunny bag, Tatamari Maharaj has been sitting in front of a thick smoke coming out of a havan for the last 20 years, according to unconfirmed sources.

His ashram called Panchi Ghat is located in Umardha Village of Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh, where he claims to be offering free food to hundreds of poor devotees daily.

“Tatamari Maharaj usually does not talk, we talk to the devotees on behalf of him. He is a very well known Mahant across the country for his generosity, he believes in feeding the poor,” said Ramdas, a disciple.

Golden Baba aka Sonewale Baba

Born as Bittu Bhagat in a Punjabi Kakkar family in East Delhi’s Gandhinagar, his fascination for gold earned him the title of “Golden Baba”. While he is seen covered in gold jewellery and accessories worth crores, he urges his followers to live a life of  simplicity. Golden Baba wears dozens of solid gold accessories around his neck and on his hands that weighs over 11.5 kg. Before becoming Golden Baba, he had gone to Haridwar with an aim to become a sadhu.

After he came back to his hometown, he built a temple and started blessing people in exchange of offerings for his ashram. He mostly accepts offerings in gold, a source from Bhagat’s Ashram told The Indian Express.  When asked where he got all this gold from and why he wears so much jewellery unlike other sadhus, he replied, “Yeh mera sona nahi hai, yeh toh eshwar ki sampatti hai (This is not mine, is belongs to God.”)

Khadeshwar Maharaj

This particular sadhu has been meditating and performing tapasya in an unique way. His particular tapasya involves performing all the acts by standing — even while he is  sleeping, eating or carrying out other routines. This is how he got his name as Khadeshwar Maharaj.

Clad in a white cloth, Maharaj claims to have not sat down since 1988. He and his chelas (aides) call this act as khadi tapasya. When asked why has he chosen this sort of tapasya and how is it going to help, he angrily questioned back, stating, “why does the Army guard our borders?” “ I had realised long ago that these politicians, who cannot ensure safety of their own house, how can they save the country. They can only think of making money. Since olden days, this is evident that whenever the world is in danger, it is the saints, ascetics and seers who have come to the rescue. My tapasya is for the safety and well-being of the world,” he reasoned.

Ramnaresh Desai Maharaj Gujaratwale alias Underground Baba alias Bhumi Baba

Born in Gujarat and currently residing in Bihar, Ramnaresh Desai Maharaj makes a small cave like dome, a little above the ground for himself, wherever he goes. He did the same even at sadhu gram at Tapovan for the Kumbh mela. He started doing this since 1997.

“I live under the ground in search of god, this is where I find inner peace and I can feel the almighty,” said Desai.

The sadhus: the holy men of India

The city of Rishikesh has always sparked my imagination ever since I started practicing yoga. So finally, this year while in India I decided to make a detour and spend a couple of weeks in this holy city which is located on the banks of the Ganga, the sacred river that flows down from the Himalayas.

During my stay, I was able to observe numerous sadhus roaming on pilgrimage around this formidable city. (Sadhus are holy men living on the fringes of society; most people call them “babas.”) These holy men have been wandering around mother India for perhaps thousands of years, leading a life of celibacy focused on ascetic yoga and spiritual practices.

It’s possible to see many of them walking along the roads, or sitting near temples in places such as Varanasi, Rishikesh, Tiruvamalai and Abramabad. Some live in ashram, while others live hidden in caves, secreted in forests all over India. Their appearance is often dramatic and sometimes scary. Some wear robes, some cover themselves with ash, some paint their faces with religious symbols. It’s easy to recognize the babas, as they very often carry a begging bowl in one hand and a walking stick in the other. People generally give them food or money in return for their blessings and prayers.

Their energy and presence is typically very strong and sparks in me a mixture of fear, fascination and curiosity. While Hindus revere them, I personally have mixed feelings, as I know that not all of them are genuine. I was told that sometimes criminals disguise themselves as sadhu to allow them to hide from the authorities.

So who are these men who have renounced worldly life in order to gain spiritual powers and mystical knowledge? Some are older men who have lived as householders and raised families while others can be as young as twenty years old; I have even seen some that looked like they were in their late teens. A few are females and we call them sadhvi, (the feminine of sadhu.)

In spite of seemingly drifting around India and living a lonely life, these sadhus actually belong to different semi-monastic sects. All genuine sadhus have been initiated into a sect. This means that they are part of a hierarchy, an organization that very often owns land, buildings and different assets, etc. I was told there are about sixty of these sects of sadhus. Some of these organizations are opulent, while others are more modest. Most sadhus rely on donations to survive.

So how does one become a sadhu? Firstly a sect must accept them. Once the sect has approved them, their initiation usually takes place at Khumba Mela, a pilgrimage which happens every 3 years. The sadhus need to renounce their life, name and previous identity. Afterwards, a ritual is performed, during which they shave all the hair on their body, (including their head,) followed by a holy bath. Once this is completed, they are appointed 5 teachers, (gurus,) within the sect. The sadhu will receive a new name, as well as a secret mantra. Finally, and most importantly, they will be required to perform their own funeral rites to cut all ties with their family, unburdening their family from performing the task.

Some of these orders are very dramatic and here are the most well-known:

Naga

Nag means ‘naked’ and these sadhus are often called Nag Babas. They have matted coils of hair and their bodies are covered in ashes, both of which are features of Lord Shiva. It is said that they are in a state of meditation (tapasya) all year around and are very intense. In ancient times they were warriors, trained in different weapons and sometimes referred to as “warrior-ascetics.” Interestingly, the Naga are divided into Akharas, (regiments,) like in the army.

What is Sadhu?

One way of life in Hinduism is renunciation of the world and asceticism, which is the path of the sadhu or Hindu holy man. The term sadhu comes from the Sanskrit for "accomplish" and can refer to any religious ascetic or holy man.

They include saints of various traditions, men (and occasionally women) who have left their homes to concentrate on physical and spiritual disciplines, and also hermits, magicians and fortune-tellers (some of dubious religious intent).

The term swami is more specific and usually refers to an ascetic who has been initiated into a specific religious order. In recent years, it has come to be applied particularly to monks of the Ramakrishna Mission. An ascetic who practices yoga in order to achieve his spiritual goals is a yogin or yogi. A Saivite (follower of Shiva) sadhu is generally referred to as a sannyasi or dasnami sannyasin, while a Vaisnavite (follower of Vishnu) ascetic is often called a vairagin.

Sadhu Ways of Life

The sadhu way of life can take a variety of forms. Sadhus may live together in monasteries (mathas) belonging to a particular order or isolate themselves in small huts or caves, but many wander throughout the country alone or in small groups.

Sadhus generally congregate on important religious occasions, such as lunar eclipses or melas (fairs), and throughout the year are found in large numbers in sacred cities such as Varanasi (Benares) and Haridwar, India.

Their dress and ornaments differ according to their sect but they usually wear yellow/orange robes. They might shave their heads, allow their hair to lie matted on their shoulders, or twist it in a knot on top of their heads, but a normal haircut is rarely seen.

Sadhus generally take vows of poverty and celibacy and depend on the charity of householders (laymen) for their food. Sadhus usually have only the possessions they carry with them: a staff (danda), a waterpot (kamandalu), an alms bowl, a rosary, and perhaps an extra cloth or a fire tong.

Symbols and Ritual Items

The typical Hindu ascetic (sadhu) usually wears a distinctive mark (pundra) on his forehead and often carries a symbol of his sect.

If the sadhu is a Vaishnava he might have a discus (chakra) and a conch shell (sankha), replicas of Vishnu's flaming weapon and his instrument of beneficent power and omnipresent protection, or a salagrama stone or a tulasi plant, which represent, respectively, Vishnu's essence and that of his spouse Laksmi.

If he is a Saiva, he might impersonate Siva and carry a trident (trisula), denoting empire and the irresistible force of transcendental reality; wear a small lingam; carry a human skull, showing that he is beyond the terror inspired by the transitoriness of the world; or smear his body with apotropaic (supposed to avert evil) and consecratory ashes. These emblems are sacred objects of worship because the divine presence, when invoked by mantras, is felt to be in them.

Role of Sadhus in Hindu Society

Sadhus and swamis are not Hindu religious officials. Compared with Christianity, they are the counterpart of the hermit monk, not the minister. In fact, it is considered inauspicious (unlucky) for a sadhu to show up at a Hindu wedding, for he represents celibacy and infertility.

The Hindu attitude toward asceticism has always been ambivalent. On the one hand, there is a genuine regard for hermits and wandering ascetics and a desire to gain spiritual merit by feeding religious mendicants. On the other hand, the fact that fringe members of society may find a sort of respectable status among Saiva ascetics often led to a decline in the moral reputation of the latter.

Are there yogis in the Himalayas who are thousands(or perhaps hundreds) of years old?

There have been many stories one of them is below

The mystery of immortal beings in the Himalayas

This is an incident of 1942 when the king of Kumaon invited an army officer of Western Command, LP. Farrel for a picnic trip to the hills. There was a special reason for inviting Mr. Farrel; in spite of his being a Britisher he was very much interested in Indian religion, philosophy and culture. He had a few opportunities of witnessing demonstration of miraculous feats of some Indian yogis. He had become a pure vegetarian. That is why he always welcomed any opportunity to go towards the Himalayan wilderness, with the hope of meeting some saint or yogi who could initiate him into spiritual sadhana. 

Mr. Farrel, the king and the queen and their entourage reached a place near Nainital full of natural beauty. It so enchanted them that they decided to camp overnight there. So, the dozens of tents were pitched and the lonely place got filled with the hustle and bustle of servants. Gossip, merriment, eating and drinking went on till midnight. Everyone went to bed and due to exhaustion of the whole day’s exertions, immediately slipped into deep sleep. The first phase of the sleep was hardly over when Mr. Farrel felt that there was someone near his cot. He waked up and clearly listened-"We need the place where your tents have been pitched. You vacate this place. If you are unable to understand, then you should come to that northwestern hill in front of you. I will explain you everything." "But who are you?" – saying this Mr. Farrel got up from the bed and lit his torch. But there was no one. He came out of the tent but there too no one could be seen nor heard anyone’s footsteps. After a momentary fear he became normal and then went back to his bed again for sleeping. It was 3.30 AM by his watch. 

Despite his best efforts he could not sleep. Somehow he was keeping his eyes shut. Again he felt someone’s presence. Still lying on the bed he opened the eyes and he saw a shadow of a person standing in front of him. This time again he uttered the same words. In order to identify that person, as soon as Mr. Farrel lit the torch, even the shadow vanished. His body started shaking and perspiring. This army officer who did not get frightened even by watching the horrible bloodshed in the war, momentarily got un-nerved and dumbfounded by mere imagination of a supernatural being. He lay awake in his bed with his eyes closed till the morning but heard nothing. A strange attraction was arousing within him to see the hill mentioned by the shadowy presence. He put on his clothes and shoes and silently came out of the tent and walked towards that hill. 

Describing this incident Mr. Farrel has himself written: "The way to the place where I was directed to reach was very difficult, narrow and dangerous. I was not at all able to climb up by myself but I was constantly feeling that somebody was showing me the way and was providing me the energy to climb up. After a hard effort of three and a half hours I could climb up. It seemed difficult to go ahead due to heavy breathing and perspiration. So I sat down on a square stone, lying down on it to take some rest. Hardly two minutes had passed and the same voice awakened me. ‘Mr. Farrel! Now you put off your shoes and slowly climb down the stone and come to me. With these words in the ears, I looked around and saw that a saint, with very weak constitution but brilliant splendor on the forehead, was standing in front of me. Leave aside the acquaintance, I had never met or seen him earlier. Then how could he know my name? He was here, then how did his shadow reach in my tent in the night? There was no communication link like a radio or a microphone etc between us. Then how could his voice reach me? Several such questions arose in my mind. Putting a stop to the unending trail of questions the sadhu said-whatever you have heard and seen cannot be understood by ordinary human mind. For this purpose one has to do long sadhanaand the practice of yoga, abandoning the worldly pleasures and attraction of the senses. There is a specific purpose for which you have been called here." 

Farrel could not make out whether the saintly person was a human being or a god. The thoughts arising in his mind were being constantly read by that person like an open book. Mr. Farrel climbed down the rock and in a short time reached the place where the Sadhu was sitting. The place was so small that only one person could take rest there. There was nothing except the fire burning in the Dhooni (firepit). 

Farrel further writes- "The Sadhu patted me on the back with his weak hand and I was stunned how could this electricity like power be there in that old body. My body that was almost breaking with pain due to exhaustion - now seemed light like a flower. As an humble gesture of respect for him I knelt down and touched his feet. I had seen many sadhus; but I have always felt that sahdus and saints who had influenced Indian philosophy and increased its dignity were not those who were roaming around on the roads but they were truly such secluded and devoted persons only. Their physical bodies might weigh 80-90 pounds but intensity of their energy and power was more than that of thousand bombs and they were the storehouses of knowledge." 

The Sadhu told me-"I have inspired a youth to reach the place where your tents have been pitched. He was my disciple in his previous birth. Hissadhana is half-completed. Now I want to guide him again to undertake hissadhana and penance for the universal welfare. But the memories of his previous birth are dormant. The impressions and circumstances of this birth are attracting him. Therefore he is unable to take up the sadhana again. I have called him through subtle inspiration. If he comes here and is unable to locate the directed place, then he will get confused. In that event, whatever I want will not become possible, Therefore, please vacate that place immediately." 

Mr. Farrel said – "Lord! Please tell me also a few things about my previous birth "? The Sadhu replied-"My son! These siddhis (accomplishments) are not for demonstration. They are meant for some special purposes and it is better they are utilized for that only. Of course, if you wish you can be present at the time when I show him the events of his previous birth. Now you go. People are searching for you in the camp. I too am in a hurry." 

Mr. Farrel returned to the camp. Indeed, people had been searching for him. Mr. Farrel narrated the incident to the king. They then left that place and pitched the camp some 200 yards away. 

By the evening of that day a young man did indeed come searching for that place. After satisfying himself in all respects, he sat down there. In the meantime, Mr. Farrel also reached there. His curiosity was getting more and more intense as the time passed. In a short while sadhu too reached there. Mr. Farel and the young man touched his feet and stood waiting for his instructions. That place was in the centre of a grove of trees.. After lighting the fire sadhu did some puja, recited some mantras and told us to sit down in a meditating posture. A ray of light emanated from his forehead and a circular spot of light appeared on the trunk of a thick tree. Then whatever was seen in the spot was just like a cinema where they saw the characters actually walking and talking. Like a movie, they saw the events of the previous birth of that youth with their own naked eyes. In between that youth used to get excited and would say – ‘Yes-yes I had done that’. 

At the end, that youth touched the feet of that sadhu and said "Lord! Now my attachment with the mundane world is broken. I am ready to take up the unfinishedsadhana of my previous life. Please guide me so that I can complete the unfinished task." 

The Sadhu said – "My son! Today you take rest here. In the morning, you return to your home. At an appropriate time, I will call you." After that Mr Farrel did not know when that youth was called again? What he became later and with what name he became popular? But he became a staunch devotee of Indian religion and spirituality. This incident has been narrated by Mr. Farrel himself in an article in the May 17, 1959 issue of Saptahik Hindustan (a weekly Hindi magazine). 

A similar incident is narrated to have happened in the life of a famous Indian yogi Sri Shyama Charan Lahiri, popularly known as Lahiri Mahashay, in the book "An autobiography of a Yogi", by Swami Yogananda. Lahiri Mahashay happened to be Yoganand’s Dada Guru. He too was called by Babaji, an immortal siddha of Himalayas, who taught him the science of kriya yoga so that this knowledge does not become extinct. 

Indian scriptures are filled with descriptions of immortal souls like Shiva, Bhairav, Hanuman, Ashwatthama and many siddhas. There is a story in Kalki Purana, which goes like this. When Lord Kalki saw that the entire world has sunk neck-deep in perversities like sex indulgence, anger, greed, attachment, ego, laziness, etc. and the light of the souls had been extinguished, he decided to guide the masses groping in the darkness of ignorance. The darkness was dense. The entire world was badly trapped in the materialistic pursuits and the pleasures of the senses. Lord Kalki felt that he lacked the power required for this awakening of the masses. Then his spiritual mentor Parashuram called him to the Himalayas and made him undertake a penance at a place where he (Parashuram) had himself done it. This penance awakened the enormous power, which was needed for the transformation of the era, within Kalki. Lord Parshuram was born in Vedic Yuga, which came much earlier than the Kaliyuga. His presence in Kaliyuga too is an indication of his immortality and a testimony of the fact that immortal souls like him are still present in the Himalayas. Dr. Hari Dutta Bhatta, Shailesh has given an interesting description of his mountaineering experience of Janwali (Garhwal) hill, which is 22000 feet above the sea level, in Dharmayuga (Hindi weekly, 23 rd August 1964 issue). He was convinced that some supernormal power saved him and his group from getting buried under a landslide. All these incidents prove the fact that immortal souls possessing fierce supernatural power are still present in the Himalayas and they will remain there for an infinite time. 

Modern scientists are also actively engaged in the research for finding the elixir of life. Zoologists of Russia, France, Britain, Germany, USA, etc. have been investigating for a long time the process of aging and death. On the basis of the results obtained so far, they have concluded that death is not an inevitable phenomenon. Aging is a kind of disease. If it be possible to find a cure for it, a person could live for a thousand years. The modes and methods of kayakalpa (rejuvenation) mentioned in Ayurveda also prove this fact. 

In fact death is the result of collapse of life sustaining mechanism in the body. The gradual reduction in the efficiency of the body organs is the cause of senility, leading to death. If the life sustaining mechanisms are kept healthy and if the process of cell renewal is kept intact, a human being could be kept alive for an infinite time. Genes are immortal so there is no inevitability of bodily death. 

After studying Ayurveda, one can easily conclude that ancient seers and scholars had identified several herbs, fruits and chemicals, which help in the rejuvenation of the body. There is a popular phrase. "A person does not eat food; it is the food that eats up a person." Our physical body is nourished by blood. The latter provides oxygen to the entire body. Oxygen and other nerve fluids sustain consciousness in the body. All this is accomplished through emotions. It is the thoughts and emotions that give rise to secretions of hormones. These hormones control the metabolic processes within the body. Therefore, it appears that the responsibility of keeping the body healthy rests with our emotions and thoughts which are the real essence of life. There is a bird called ‘Salyon’, which gets sick after laying eggs. After investigation it has been found that after laying the eggs, her pituitary gland (which is centre of thoughts and emotions), gets excited and it starts secreting a hormone called A.C.T.H in huge quantities, which leads to her sickness. This has been found in the case of some other creatures as well. This shows that, if a person makes his thought process robustly positive and keeps his food light, he can keep himself alive and active for a long time. 

Modern science has no knowledge of the thought control mechanism. Is there any power in the sentiments, which can catch in its purest form the life (genes) floating in the sky? This vidya (knowledge) is known only to Indian yogis. But now scientists too are agreeing with this. For example in 1975 some zoologists of Strasberg carried out an experiment for changing the genes of a duck. Two ducks, one of Campbell variety and the other of Pekish variety, were chosen. The DNA of the first were injected in the second and that of the second one were injected in the first. This gave rise to change in the color of both. Within a few days the dust colour of Campbell started appearing in the Pekish variety and the neck of Campbell variety started getting white. 

Science can perform only a few experiments of this type. Changing one or two chromosomes is the first step towards success. The reproductive cells of a human being contain about 10 billions pairs of nucleotides and every pair has 46 chromosomes. It is difficult to change the behavior of a person without changing them. Then there are several cells in the body, which after being formed never change. The question of keeping them healthy is much a more daunting task. It will take a long time for science to search the solution for this. But that knowledge already exists in the science of yoga and Indian chemical methods. This needs unbiased scientific research of a different type. This depends on appropriate environment in addition to difficult sadhanas. For this purpose scientists have suggested that atmospheric temperature should be subzero. Mr Clark in his book ‘Space Odyssey’ has written that in order to undertake space voyage lasting for 200 to 400 yrs, it will be essential to keep the space voyager in the sleeping state at sub zero temperatures. Looked at from this scientific finding, the existence of immortal beings in the perennially frozen regions of the Himalayas cannot be considered as a myth. 

In fact, Himalayan region has been a special haven of true Yogis and Mahatmas from times immemorial. The likes of great yogis who have lived in this sacred region cannot be found elsewhere. It is said that there is Gyangaj Yogashram in Tibet, which is a training institute for yogis. Hundreds of such yogis are reported to be living and researching into the mysteries of the inner realms. This Siddhashram isolate in the subtle-physical realm is not accessible or visible to ordinary persons. Only psychically awakened and gifted Sadhaks have the privilege of entry into this Siddhashram.