Anyone who hear Sadhus in Varanasi, the first thing that comes into the mind is Aghori Sadhus. They are the group of ascetic Shaiva Sadhus. They worship Lord Shiva and goddess Kali maa. Aghoris Sadhus are one of the most feared people who perform the most uncommon rituals and ways of worship in the belief that Lord Shiva is present everywhere and in everything and it would bring them Moksha meaning it would liberate them from the cycle of rebirth.
They are usually covered in ashes, wearing dread lockets around their necks and almost naked smoking weed, marijuana or cannabis. Their life is mostly found during night times especially on the banks of Ganga river in Varanasi. Baba Kinaram was one of the first Aghori gurus. There even an ashram dedicated to baba Kinaram in Varanasi.
Aghori sadhu with a human skull
Some of the weird and shocking facts about Aghoris are :
A) They tend to have sex with the menstruating women covered in the ashes of the dead in a graveyard like imitating Shiva and Shakti. They also believe that having sex in the presence of a dead one can obtain supernatural powers.
B) They curse people who ask for their blessings and sometimes even throw skull faces at them as prasad.
C) They share their food with dogs, cows, and other animals as they believe the true devotee of Shiva should not hold any hatred in their heart and they believe considering animals dirty is wrong.
D) Even after being indulged in cannibalism they seem to be sober even when stoned. They say this practice helps them to concentrate on their yoga and religious practices.
E) They eat human flesh from the dead body, they don’t kill people to eat them. They use their skull as the vessel to drink alcohol or as a bowl to eat food.
Aghori Sadhu smoking
They are said to eat human flesh, consume alcohol, and for their weed and cannibalism as they believe that goddess Kali demands meat, alcohol, and sex. They never encourage or force anyone to follow their practices of weed, cannibalism or alcohol.
Aghori Sadhus lead a life on the edge of being bizarre. Their way of leading life is beyond any normal human imagination. All their practices are based on only one intention of attaining Moksha from the cycle of rebirth.
