Day 2: Aghori and more!!
Alright guys…. I'm clean.
That dip was awesome. I thought it would be cool to gather some more stuff on the ancient ghats. On the way I saw this quirky sadhu chanting his daily prayers. He hadn't combed his hair in ages. I don't even want to comment on his hands and feet! Before I knew it he motioned at me to sit besides him.
For a while he rambled on in Sanskrit. I couldn't make head or tail of any of the prattle. But it certainly sounded nice. So I sat through. After a while he finished and got up to take a dip. He got back dry and then we got talking.
The cool me was adventurous enough to ask him about his entangled locks. I took a back flip when he gave me the funda that he'd been "busy" meditating and following a set routine on these ghats for the past 35 years. Good heavens!! I could find him there anytime any day - that was his address.
Anyway, we got talking more on Banaras, the river, the ghats, the people and lots more. Interestingly, he told me that each ghat has a following of its own.
Dashaswamedh Ghat is one gets to see a myriad of people performing pujas and aartis - all unanimously aimed at pleasing the God. A dip here is said to wash away all your sins of this life. (which by the way – I’ve already done!!)
Manikarnika Ghat or the cremation ground is the ultimate destination for any self respecting Hindu. According to scriptures, this is where a devout Hindu should end his life to get rid of the endless cycle of birth, death and re-birth. Apparently almost 100 bodies reached the ghats everyday!
I dared to ask him about the mysterious aghori sadhus. I had seen this horrible documentary on them on the TV long ago. From what I remember this was the ghat where the aghori sadhus performed rituals with the remains of dead bodies in the middle of the night! Hmmmm…I had no `ghory` intention to drop by at night to see if is was actually true! I asked him if he had seen any of them. And he said he was one!!!!
That dip was awesome. I thought it would be cool to gather some more stuff on the ancient ghats. On the way I saw this quirky sadhu chanting his daily prayers. He hadn't combed his hair in ages. I don't even want to comment on his hands and feet! Before I knew it he motioned at me to sit besides him.
For a while he rambled on in Sanskrit. I couldn't make head or tail of any of the prattle. But it certainly sounded nice. So I sat through. After a while he finished and got up to take a dip. He got back dry and then we got talking.
The cool me was adventurous enough to ask him about his entangled locks. I took a back flip when he gave me the funda that he'd been "busy" meditating and following a set routine on these ghats for the past 35 years. Good heavens!! I could find him there anytime any day - that was his address.
Anyway, we got talking more on Banaras, the river, the ghats, the people and lots more. Interestingly, he told me that each ghat has a following of its own.
Dashaswamedh Ghat is one gets to see a myriad of people performing pujas and aartis - all unanimously aimed at pleasing the God. A dip here is said to wash away all your sins of this life. (which by the way – I’ve already done!!)
Manikarnika Ghat or the cremation ground is the ultimate destination for any self respecting Hindu. According to scriptures, this is where a devout Hindu should end his life to get rid of the endless cycle of birth, death and re-birth. Apparently almost 100 bodies reached the ghats everyday!
I dared to ask him about the mysterious aghori sadhus. I had seen this horrible documentary on them on the TV long ago. From what I remember this was the ghat where the aghori sadhus performed rituals with the remains of dead bodies in the middle of the night! Hmmmm…I had no `ghory` intention to drop by at night to see if is was actually true! I asked him if he had seen any of them. And he said he was one!!!!
posted by Riya at 5:52 AM
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