I don't know why a naked man is seen as he renounced everything when a naked or half naked woman is seen as shameless even if she's great ascetic.

I also confuse if a naked man seen by women in public can be cultural part of our conservative country then why a naked or half naked woman seen by men in public is a taboo.Why our religion sexualized our vision towards a woman so much.

In all our Hindus and Jain religious scripture there are many depiction of lust towards women , even our great sadhu munis had fallen, I think this is main reason our view to a woman is sexual object.

In Scandinavian countries they are literally atheist and not influenced by those old stories where a lady allures a saint and the saint break his meditation and get involved in sexual relationship with that lady.

So in those countries they have no issue with a naked female body also.Even they don't turn their eyes when they pass a naked women.

It's our religion book which show girls like a danger for men,a gateway to the hell,a treacherous like snake,or a sexual object and we are getting its bad effects in today's society

which culture actually making a person actually detached? so called religious like us or who we called without religion. Detachment is a natural state but we are pressurized to be detached.

When lord mahavir renounced cloth,it was his concious decision because he didn't do it by guided some religion text.But today it's a unconscious and robotic process , Mahavir or Buddha wasn't bound to any believe so everything they had done was concious action, that's why they are great but a believer is unconscious about what they are doing even we recite mantra without knowing what is the meaning so our mantra never work because lord said unconscious work is bound our soul not make it free

I don't understand if male saints can follow mahavirs digambar tradition then why we don't allow a female saint to follow akka Mahadevi who was also Jain female ascetic and lived naked during 12th century in Karnataka.

🔥𝗦𝗮𝗱𝗵𝗴𝘂𝗿𝘂🔥: I met some Naga Babas [People belonging to a certain sect in North India, who wander naked with Vibuthi smeared on the body even during the coldest winter seasons of the Himalayas] in a place just above Kedarnath and stayed with them for two days. They had run out of money; they were hungry and cold. For two days, I took care of their food and spent time with them. I only had a little woollen in-shirt and a T-shirt. Fortunately, somebody had given me a shawl, which was a big blessing. If the shawl hadn't been there, I would have frozen. It was so cold that even my insides were shivering. I could literally feel the stomach bag shiver.

These Babas are naked sadhus who aren't supposed to wear anything that is stitched. They wrapped something like a shawl over themselves, because it was too cold. They weren't even wearing footwear and they didn't even have money for tea. They were saving the little they had to go to the Kumbha Mela (a major spiritual and religious festival) that was more important for them than having something to eat. When I asked them what their sadhana was, they said they were doing nothing. They just roam about like the nagas, the snakes. Their Guru had told them to spend twelve years in the Himalayas and then he would initiate them. When one is so unidirectional that he can wait twelve years, being oblivious to harsh weather and difficult living conditions and just wait for his initiation, reaching the highest can't be denied to him.

There's not much for the Guru to do, whether he has something to give or not, these guys will get it anyway because of the very way they have made themselves. They don't need a Guru. If a man has that much patience and stamina that he can stay twelve years, not knowing when or if the next meal is going to come, just waiting in that terrifying cold in a queue to be initiated, he will get it anyway. That itself is a sadhana. The Guru knows that if he initiates someone the same day the person comes to him, it will be wasted on the man. He will waste the whole opportunity. So he sends hundreds of people to the mountains like this every year. Maybe only some of them make it - many run away because it's a very difficult path. It's very tough to stay in such conditions. When a person is willing to do this, whether he does it or not, that's not the point. If he's willing to go to any length, that man gets it. It is that simple.

💥𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺 24𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 -𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴 𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮. 𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.💥

The life of Naga Sadhus isn’t as mystical or glamorous as it might seem from the outside. Behind the ash-covered bodies and spiritual aura lies a world of harsh truths that most people wouldn’t endure.

To start, their initiation isn’t just a ritual—it’s a complete severing of ties with the world. Imagine being declared "dead" to your family and never looking back. That’s their reality. Once they take that leap, they’re on their own, living in extreme conditions—barefoot in the cold, naked under the sun, surviving on little food, and sleeping wherever nature permits.

Society looks at them with a mix of awe and suspicion. Some admire their discipline, while others see them as relics, stuck in time. And let’s not forget, they’re often pulled into political and religious agendas. It’s ironic—they renounce the world but can’t escape being dragged back into its mess.

Even within their own circles, things aren’t always harmonious. Rivalries between akhadas, or sects, sometimes turn nasty. Their way of life, free from materialism, doesn’t mean freedom from human flaws like ego or power struggles.

Health? That’s a joke. They endure sickness and pain without proper care, relying on their belief systems or sheer willpower. The so-called detachment they aim for isn’t always achieved; they’re human too, dealing with loneliness and existential doubt.

Being a Naga Sadhu is not just about spirituality. It’s about confronting life in its rawest, most brutal form, every single day.

Sorry if I'm wrong in any context; I wrote everything based on what I know and understand.

Naga Sadhus ~ The Brave Protectors of Sanatana Dharma whose contributions are unforgettable in History.

The main Battles fought by the Naga Sadhus!

The Naga sadhus are not afraid of death, because while they are alive, they performed their shradh and other last rites with their own hands.

When the Naga sadhus descend on the battlefield, by merely seeing their maverick appearance, the Islamic invaders, and other robbers used to have a tough time.

Let us know some of the main battles that the Naga sadhus have fought.

When the Islamic invader Aurangzeb attacked the Kashi Vishwanath temple in 1664, the sadhus of the Mahanirvani Dashnami Akhara came forward to protect the Sanatan dharma. The struggle was so fierce that Aurangzeb’s army had to retreat, giving up dream of destroying the templetemple.

When Maharana Pratap was fighting with Akbar, the Naga sadhus cooperated with him. Seeing the valor of the Naga sadhus, the feet of the Mughal army was uprooted.

We can still see the samadhis of the Naga sadhus who were sacrificed in the battle between Ranakada Ghat and Chapli Talab in the Panchmahua area of Rajasthan.

The battle of the Naga sadhus against the Islamic invaders of Bengal is very famous. Renowned lyricist and writer Bankim Chandra Chatterjee has written about this war in his book ‘Ananda Math’. The song ‘Vande Mataram’ from the same book is our national anthem today

~ The Naga sadhus had made a valuable sacrifice to protect the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya from Islamic attackers. About 76 battles were fought for the Ram temple, in which Sant Balramacharya, Baba Vaishnavdas, Rajguru Pt.

Many Naga warriors like Devidin Pandey and Swami Maheshanand sacrificed their lives. At the same time, Sant Balanand and Mandas fought a long war against the Islamic army for a long time and kept them away from Ayodhya.

In 1666, when Aurangzeb’s soldiers attacked the Hindus at the time of the Haridwar Kumbh Mela, it was the Naga sadhus who retaliated, and the Islamic army was beaten back

In 1751, when Islamic invader Ahmed Ali Bangas attacked the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, about 50,000 Naga sadhus led by Sant Rajendra Giri took a fierce fight and drove out the army of Banga

In 1757, when Ahmad Shah Abdali, the plunderer of Afghanistan, invaded Delhi, the then Mughal rulers could not stand and lost Delhi.

Abdali’s army was marching ahead to desecrate the holy city of Mathura after trampling Delhi. This is when the army of Naga sadhus countered them and forced them to flee back to Delhi.

Reference: Trunicle Naga Sadhus! Art By - Andrew Jones

Here are a few reasons why Digambar Jain monks renounce clothes:

1. They are the original followers of Jina - The Mahavira, and this must be understood. When Jina roamed naked and was often rebuked for His lifestyle and even stoned out of towns; a time when the monks of the Church of 23rd Tirthankara - Parshava wore rich and expensive clothes donated by lay followers; it was the ancestors of these Digambar monks who discovered the great solace and enlightenment which Jina had attained and thus became His disciples. As Jina roamed naked, His followers followed suit and renounced clothes. The tradition has since been followed unbroken for the last 2600 years.
2. Nakedness with no resulting libido symbolizes perfect innocence and de-conditioning of all filth which society feeds in a human. Take it this way - if the eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden symbolizes the loss of innocence of mankind, then attaining the above nakedness symbolizes the reclamation of that innocence. It cannot be put in simpler terms.
3. This naked recluse lifestyle is the embodiment of ultimate renunciation, a state of a being where a person renounces all worldly possessions, including one’s clothes.
4. This naked lifestyle is also considered the greatest form of tapas (austerity) among all the contemporary religions, including various Jain orders.
5. The naked lifestyle may also be regarded as the greatest form of Samvar - the stoppage of influx of any new karmic bondage as the monks who practice thus refrain from inculcating any indirect karmic bondages that goes into the worldly act of weaving of clothes.
6. This lifestyle of a recluse is certainly the greatest form of Nirjara - The annihilation of past Karmic Bondages as the seekers who practice so do away from even the barest of protectionism, as they do not have even basic clothes to guard them against the unwilling and undesired assault of nature and other sentient beings.
7. Because of the above, especially points 5 & 6, the Digambar sect of Jains consider nudity as an essential for Moksha - the ultimate release from transmigration, achieved when the mountain of Karmic-Bondages that we carry as a hangover of our past actions ceases to be.

The other monastic orders of India, including those of Jains may not agree on point 7 above, but one thing that can be said with absolute certainty is that if monasticism represents the start of a lifestyle where one ceases to rove around the worldly desires and imbibe on a path of spirituality and inward discovery, then Digambar Jain Monkhood is certainly ‘the par excellence’ of monasticism.

I bow down to these seers.

Namo Loe Sava-Sahu Nam.

Love

Related Topic:

To understand Naga Sadhus specifically, we need to first explore a broader topic about Indian society from time immemorial.

Householders and ascetics. Rishi and Muni. Settlers and wanderers. Socially engaged versus the socially withdrawn. Orthodox versus unorthodox. Preservation and destruction (hence, renewal). Vishnu and Shiva.

Those are some terms and themes we can use to classify people and their natural inclinations. Many of us will have a mix of both characteristics, without firmly being on one side or the other.

Most verses in the Rig Veda are attributed to various Rishis (and occasionally, Rishikas). Rishis lived in ashrams - the settled, gated-communities of those times. Well-stocked, well-defended, well-defined routines. The Rishis typically wrote mantras and prescribed rituals to bring rain, to beget more cows, to bring victory. They wanted the good life.

Outside the ashrams roamed the Muni category thinkers. They were wandering ascetics, living in nature, equally comfortable amongst enlightened people, common people and even beasts.

One interesting hymn in the Rig Veda is attributed, not to a Rishi, but to the Kesin Muni (ascetics with long, unkempt hair). It conveys a rather skeptical message - Was the Universe really created by some creator god? But then who created that god? If we were to somehow locate such a god and ask that god, ‘Who created you?” what will that god say? Will that god even know the answer? Basically, what is the point in searching for such an imaginary creator god, leave alone praying to him/her/it?

All Indic philosophies incorporate both ends of the orthodox-unorthodox spectrum. For example, Jainism has very rich sponsors from the business class, but is led by monks who are comfortable not wearing any clothes.

Irreverence was a freedom that wandering ascetics could afford to use. Withdrawal from society gives certain social superpowers. You can ignore the caste system, dietary restrictions, monetary and familial compulsions. You can think out of the box. When you have nothing to lose, you can achieve a lot.

Charaka Samhita is a foundational text in Ayurveda. Charaka literally means, ‘wandering scholars’. An orthodox Rishi would not have been comfortable studying dead bodies - human and animal - to understand anatomy. Being outside gave the wanderers that flexibility.

Many of the reformist movements in India came from such people. Indian society was often willing to accept unorthodox ideas and incorporated such thoughts into the mainstream. Once the new idea was preserved in the mainstream, it became established orthodoxy over time, and then you needed the next destroyer to dismantle it again. This is the never-ending cycle.

For example, Akka Mahadevi, one of the main leaders of the Lingayata movement that questioned the rigid birth-based caste system in the 12th century, is supposed to have refused to marry a King who had proposed to her, became a wandering ascetic, and refused to wear clothes. Obviously, she was criticized and mocked for her lifestyle choices. But eventually, her ideas reformed Hinduism and made it more egalitarian for a while (till the next cycle of orthodoxy and rigidity took over again).

Now, with that context set, let’s come to Naga Sadhus. For that, we have to turn to Adi Sankaracharya.

Adi Sankara became a Sanyasi - another version of a wandering ascetic with no attachments in the material world.

Sankara also questioned orthodoxy. In one of his stories. his disciples treat an untouchable caste person very rudely. Sankara shows that the untouchable man is actually very knowledgeable and falls at his feet, demonstrating to his disciples that knowledge is more important than birth-caste, and anybody from any background can acquire knowledge. (In later versions, as usual, this unorthodox story is turned into orthodoxy by making the untouchable man a version of Lord Shiva!)

But Sankara was a more organized ascetic and stayed connected to the world. He went to ashrams and engaged in debates. He organized philosophies into texts, and deities into standardized prayer formats, in order to unite cultures. He guided a King in Varanasi and established several mutts/monasteries that live on to the present day.

Sankara’s time - 8th century - was after a series of invasions in the north-west - first the Hunas, and then the Arab and Turkish ones, which had devastated existing structures. The Buddhist monastic orders had disappeared during the Islamic invasions. There was a need for a replacement.

Sankara organized some of the generally wandering ascetics into gymnasiums (akharas). Why only do metaphysical exercises for the mind? Do some physical exercises also. Without some militancy, the philosophy will be lost.

These ascetics, that Sankara turned into organized groups, are the Naga Sadhus of today.

You are reborn when you become a Naga Sadhu. When you take a dip in the Ganga, everybody is equal. Many akharas expect you to lose your caste memory, but sadly, this is not universally followed across the akharas, some of whom remain wedded to orthodoxy.

The Kumbh Mela is the occasion for all varieties of wandering ascetics, including Naga Sadhus, to gather together. We have our householder festivals like Deepavali, Ganesh Chaturthi and Pongal. This is theirs. Here, they recruit people, make 4-year plans, discuss issues and engage with the outside world.

The rest of us taking dips in the river - the software engineers, the industrialists and the politicians - are tourists coming in their way. Causing traffic jams and stampedes. But also bringing in money. The British marketed Naga Sadhus as eastern exotica in contrast to their own high western civilization. The Governments of today market Kumbh Mela to boost the economy.

Naga Sadhus have gone from being totally quixotic to somewhat mainstream. A friend of mine who visited the Kumbh Mela last month related this conversation. A particularly chatty Naga Sadhu had attracted a crowd including my friend.

A member of the crowd asked the ascetic, “What do you feel when we mock you for not wearing clothes?”

He replied, “You all laugh at me for not wearing clothes. I laugh at you all for making compromises in life so that you can buy things you don’t really need.”

With the advent of social media, stories about Naga Sadhus have moved from history into WhatsApp University. You might have seen forwarded messages like, “Naga Sadhus defeated Aurangzeb,” and “Naga Sadhus vanquished the Afghan invader, Abdali”.

Sure, a band of Naga Sadhus may have caught some enemy unit briefly by surprise once in a while, but the Mughals were actually evicted by the Marathas and the Afghans by the Sikhs. By well-organized armies with proper armor, weapons and battle tactics.

The Indian military cannot look towards the Naga Sadhus for inspiration any more than they can seek out the Pushpak Vimaan to replace fighter jets.

As a settled, gated-community resident looking forward to paying next month’s EMIs, you can at best think of Naga Sadhus as similar to computer nerds. The unwashed software programming nerd with uncombed hair, with zero concern about what the world thinks of him, may end up building some killer app that changes the world. But for that app to go from his parents’ basement to the outside world, the nerd needs a corporate structure with departments, management teams, marketing strategies, venture capital and an eventual public listing.

There may be a lot of undiscovered potential energy in these Naga Sadhus beyond the tourism potential. But to channel that potential energy into something more kinetic, the rest of us have to give them some structure that engages with orthodox society.

We don’t know how many of these Naga Sadhus of today have some real stuff to back them, and how many are mere escapees. Running away from stock market collapses, from software job losses, from demanding spouses, from mental afflictions, into a life of opium-fed hallucinations.

We will get to know the full truth when we engage with them like Adi Sankara did, beyond seeing them as tourist attractions every few years at the Kumbh Mela.

Meaning : Naga means one who resides in mountains.

It also means descendant of Lord Anant Shesh ji ( divine snake -couch of Lord Vishnu)

It also means descendent of Lord Vasukinath (divine snake of Lord Mahadev)

Chosen : Out of many Sadhus ; only chosen one can become Naga Sanyasi.

They are selected after a thorough process and given special training.

Study : For more than 12 years ; they have to follow instructions of their spiritual guide.

They also go through religious studies (rituals ; prayers ; service)

Diksha : After 12 years ; Guru allows them to become a Naga Sanyasi.

They go through a special ceremony at Kumbh near Ganga or other sacred river.

Rituals : They have to perform death rituals of their loves ones and themselves.

They also perform a special ritual to control lust , anger and desire.

Vow : They undertake a vow to remain utmost faithful to Sanatan dharm and motherland.

Dead : From then onwards; they are considered socially dead.

Alive : Nevertheless, they are seen as new born by their Akhara (monastic schools)

Well, they learn secret rituals and undertake tough Hath Yoga in distant mountains and jungles.

Appearance : They often appear during Kumbh Parv and Magh Snana.

Aim : Their first and last aim is to attain Moksha (freedom from cycle of life and death)

Facts : They have expertise in martial arts ; yoga ; Ayurveda and sacred texts.

Many of them are well educated professionals turned Sanyasis.

There are 7 Shaiva and 3 Vaishanav Akharas that have Naga Sanyasis.

Prayer : Namo Narayan Sita Ram Jayam Namo Parvatipataye Har Har Har Mahadev Shambo !

Pranam to these great warrior monks !

Pic Credits : Google Images / Web

Naga Sadhus are a type of Hindu ascetic who follow the path of renunciation and detachment from the material world. They are known for their distinctive appearance, which includes covering themselves in ash and wearing only minimal clothing. Naga Sadhus are considered to be one of the most revered and mysterious groups of ascetics in India.

The term 'Naga' refers to the ancient tribe of snake worshippers who roamed the forests and hills of India in ancient times. These people were known for their fierce independence and their deep connection to the natural world. The Naga Sadhus are said to have descended from this ancient tribe and are known for their strong devotion to Lord Shiva.

To become a Naga Sadhu, one must first have a deep desire to renounce the material world and dedicate themselves to the spiritual path. This is not an easy decision to make, as it requires a complete detachment from worldly possessions and relationships. The path of a Naga Sadhu is one of extreme austerity and self-discipline.

The first step in becoming a Naga Sadhu is to find a guru who is willing to guide you on this path. The guru is considered to be the one who will help you attain enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It is important to find a guru who is authentic and has a deep understanding of the spiritual path.

Once you have found a guru, you will be required to undergo a period of rigorous training and discipline. This will include practicing meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices. You will also be required to observe strict rules of celibacy and abstinence from worldly pleasures.

One of the most important aspects of becoming a Naga Sadhu is the practice of tapasya or austerities. This involves enduring physical discomfort and pain in order to purify the mind and body. The Naga Sadhus are known for their extreme austerities, such as standing for long periods of time, fasting for days on end, and remaining exposed to the elements.

Another important aspect of becoming a Naga Sadhu is the initiation ceremony, which is known as diksha. This involves taking a vow of celibacy and renunciation, and being initiated into the order of Naga Sadhus. During the diksha ceremony, the guru will give you a new name, which signifies your new identity as a Naga Sadhu.

After the initiation ceremony, you will be required to live as a wandering ascetic, traveling from place to place and relying on the generosity of others for your food and shelter. You will also be required to live a life of complete detachment, giving up all worldly possessions and relationships.

In conclusion, becoming a Naga Sadhu is a path that requires a deep commitment to the spiritual life and a willingness to renounce the material world. It is not an easy path, but for those who are called to it, it can be a deeply rewarding and transformative experience. If you are considering becoming a Naga Sadhu, it is important to find an authentic guru who can guide you on this path and help you attain enlightenment and liberation.

It is important to note that becoming a Naga Sadhu is a very serious and challenging path, and it is not something that can be accomplished in just one year. However, here is a suggested 52-week plan to start you on the path towards becoming a Naga Sadhu:

Week 1-4: Start with a daily meditation practice, aiming for 10-15 minutes per day. Focus on quieting the mind and cultivating inner peace.

Week 5-8: Add daily yoga practice, starting with basic asanas and gradually increasing the duration and intensity.

Week 9-12: Begin to reduce your consumption of non-vegetarian food, alcohol, and other intoxicants. Start to eat a healthy, plant-based diet.

Week 13-16: Start to practice celibacy, abstaining from sexual activity and romantic relationships. This can be challenging, but it is an important step on the path towards becoming a Naga Sadhu.

Week 17-20: Spend time in nature, either by going on a hike or spending time in a park or forest. This will help you connect with the natural world and cultivate a sense of detachment from material possessions.

Week 21-24: Reduce your use of technology and social media. Spend more time in quiet reflection and contemplation.

Week 25-28: Read spiritual texts and attend satsangs or spiritual gatherings. This will help you deepen your understanding of the spiritual path.

Week 29-32: Spend time in seclusion, perhaps by going on a retreat or spending time in a remote location. This will help you cultivate a sense of detachment and introspection.

Week 33-36: Begin to practice more extreme austerities, such as fasting and standing for long periods of time.

Week 37-40: Find a guru who can guide you on the path towards becoming a Naga Sadhu. This can be a challenging process, but it is essential to have a teacher who can help you navigate the path.

Week 41-44: Attend spiritual festivals and gatherings, such as Kumbh Mela, where you can connect with other seekers on the spiritual path.

Week 45-48: Undergo the initiation ceremony, or diksha, with your guru. This will mark the beginning of your journey as a Naga Sadhu.

Week 49-52: Begin to live as a wandering ascetic, traveling from place to place and relying on the generosity of others for food and shelter. Cultivate a deep sense of detachment and renunciation, and focus on your spiritual practice as the primary goal in your life.

This plan is just a suggestion, and the timeline may vary depending on your individual circumstances and readiness for the path. Becoming a Naga Sadhu is a lifelong journey, and it requires dedication, discipline, and a deep commitment to the spiritual life.

The tradition is not to wear anything that has been stitched. It is just loose fabric wrapped around the body. For women too, during special rituals, only a saree is wrapped around the body with nothing underneath. This is traditional wear from centuries ago before the sewing machine had been invented.

You might have come across some imposter here because real sadhus don’t appreciate or smoke weed much. I’ve personally, had the fortune of chilling with a few sandhus myself in one of my trips to the mountains, here’s what I got to know from them:

Naga Sadhus or popularly known as the Nagas, much like the other sects of sandhus are found all over the country but they are exclusively from The Himalayas, The Adobe of Lord Shiva.

Deep in the mountains of The Himalayas, these sandhus live in subzero temperatures, wearing nothing more than a single piece of cloth, consuming minimal food. They have a very extreme regime to be followed as there is the need to conserve energy for dhyaan(concentration) and meditation, as they are inn the search of enlightenment.

These sandhus, living in extreme temperatures consume certain amount of charas or hash, which exclusively grows only in the Himalayan mountains. This specific kind of charas, when consumed produces immense amounts of heat in the body, so it helps them cope up with the extremely cold temperatures in the mountains.

Also, they don’t really get stoned like normal people such as us on consuming these substances.

Why do you think they can consume such substances on an everyday basis without affecting their health much?

It’s because of their Lifestyle. When you’re a sadhu, your physical built is such that the body can easily consume these substances on a regular basis.

Normal people like you and me, our bodies simply cannot take such large quantities of charas frequently. It could erase our memory and cause serious health issues (As told to me by a Naga Baba himself.)

Nagas are some of the most extreme and mystical Sadhus alive. They are often known to possess supernatural abilities which are attained through years of tapp (practice).

1- A Sadhu is a Hindu holy man. Sadhus have been traditionally associated with asceticism and with the renunciation of the world and its trappings. They wear orange clothes to symbolize their inner flame.

2- Sadhus are Hindu holy men, or ascetics. They are typically men who have renounced all material possessions and worldly pleasures. Sadhus may wear orange because it is considered to be a sacred color in Hinduism.

3- Sadhus are Hindu ascetics who wear orange clothes to show their dedication to the god Shiva.

4- Sadhus are Hindu holy men who spend their days in prayer, meditation, and begging. Sadhus wear orange clothes to remind themselves of the fire that burns in their heart and the spiritual heat that they need to stay warm in their journey of spiritual awakening.

5- The Sadhus are Hindu ascetics who wear orange clothes because they are associated with the sun and its warmth. They are the religious mendicants and holy men who have renounced worldly possessions. The orange clothes they wear symbolize their belief in the power of the sun and its warmth to purify and transform.

6- Sadhus are a Hindu religious sect that often wear orange clothes to signify their beliefs. They live a life of devotion, meditating and following religious practices, like fasting. Sadhus also wander the country in search of God, following their guru, the spiritual leader.

Yes, there are Naga Sadhvis (& also female aghoris)

Their dress code is limited to a single piece of cloth top to bottom (cotton) black or saffron - no white..with NO stitching, zips or clips, it can be folded or a knot can be tied…but should not even have a cut on it or even a joint with a pin.

Till date there has been only ONE naga sadhvi that was allowed to be nude, “Sadhvi Brahma Giri” otherwise its a tradition to have some cloth as once they become sadhvis they are called “MATA” aka mother.

Ideally they are considered as the left hand of Santhan Dharma also know as Tantra. (all naga sadhus, naga sadhvis and both male and female aghoris)

No woman is encouraged to be a Sadhvi as their after life is very miserable which women don’t understand due to their stubbornness and free will that is more based on emotions than understanding and jump after idolizing men.

No woman ideally is also encouraged in Santhan Dharma to worship even a stand alone God or Goddess.

For they are unable to handle the vibration and frequency and often we see their married life is a hell but they still do it first without any understanding and secondly due to mentally retarded dhongi babas we have.

In the right hand of Santhan Dharma this entire process is done alone through meditation which is tougher but is more powerful once it’s awaken and women are dis-courage to do it as they are unable to control once they reach to Vishuddha chakra . The crown aka Sahasrara chakra can ONLY be reached by MALE energy.

In Sanathan Dharam - that’s why woman be it a child or grown up are always encouraged to worship Gods with their courtship

1. Bhagwan Shiva and Maa Parvati
2. Bhagwan Vishnu and Maa Laxmi
3. Bhagwan Ram and Maa Sita

That’s all but today I see females worshiping Hanuman Ji, some worshiping Maa Kali or Maa Durga, Maa Shakti some worshiping Lord Krishna.. I mean first women are dumb and then equally dumb are gurus of this age who come on internet and encourage and then give self explanation with no heads or tail.

For instance no woman was allowed in Sabrimala but due to PILs and den of thugs Supreme Court of India - in the name of “equality” these shameless women breached the sanity of the temple.

Likewise the Dhari Devi temple is also very notorious in Uttrakhand, it is said once a tourist (woman) laughed at the stone on which the mother is imprinted - laughing on the nose - (here mother Dhari looks like a young girl every morning and by evening looks like an old woman.) when she took off she started vomiting and fell sick when hospitalized doctors were unable to control her deteriorating health, when she was asked she told about her behavior at the temple, then she was told to go back and ask for “forgiveness” after which she was able to regain her health.

Every women primary responsibility is towards mother nature - neither god nor parents nor education nor job nor career nor freedom nor financial independence…but MOTHERHOOD.

(Though its different if the “soul” is ancient and knows it’s past life karma and wants to continue with its path to salvation aka Moksha.)

That is why she is attached with a biological clock, and those who are very career focused, strong independent modern educated woman, thinking they are making a dent in the universe or turning to Sadhvis - not marrying or delaying or refusing kids or thinking adopting will solve… they already are in “karmic debt” and after life is going to be more painful but this life they will get the feel of the coming events.

Sanathan Dharma is NOT one life affair.

Point to note: NO woman ever gets “moksha” till she takes a rebirth as a man this is very well explained in Sanathan Dharma.

Though according to Santhan Dharma or Hinduism the goal remains the same for every soul !

End…..

Why would you want blessings form a Naga sadhu or an Aghori when you don’t even know anything about them apart from being inspired by the popular myths created by story tellers? Who ever told you that you could make a minor mistake and they could curse you? What mistake you could make? Why would they curse you? What would they curse? Why would their curse work? Who are they to curse? And finally why would anyone who has renounced the world and finds no difference between food and feces, ever know the difference between right and wrong behaviour? If you want to blessed by a true Naga sadhu or Aghori, be where you are and be a dharmic person. If you please their god by being a dharmic person they automatically bless you, because they exist to protect the dharma and dharma needs no demonstration.

First of all, please be clear about this.

Jain wear clothes, there are total 5 million people practicing Jain failth which in it self is bifurcated into Swetambar and Digambar and its only Digambar faith who ask for total renunciation of worldly affairs and attachment in order to attain nirvana.

There are only around 300 - 500 Practicing jain monks who had renounced their clothes. Only and Only male monks in Digambar faith renounce their clothes.

It is not that they do not wear clothes, but they lead a ideology, which says that to attain nirvana one should remove MOH ( the desire to have something, the desire of attachment with someone or something) to everything. Monks give up their clothes, to practice the most difficult of life practice found any where in world.

According to different scriptures, one must give up everything worldly, except the base minimum essential for survival ( which is food). Why they give up everything including their clothes : to remove attachment from everything.

without attachment, they can put all their concentration to only one thing, i.e. to attain nirvana.

pic source- Google

Whenever we see a Naga Sanyasi, many questions come in our mind like why Naga Baba is naked, how does Naga Maharaj become, what is the Naga tribe (Kumbh Mela Sadhu), training of Naga Sadhu. How does it happen etc. So today we will give you the answer of all these questions in a detailed manner.

Naga Sadhus (Naga Sadhu Kumbh) are famous for being naked and proficient in martial arts. They live in the Akharas, which were established by Shankaracharya. They follow very strict discipline in their life.

Naga Sadhus were born to protect Indian temples and monasteries from foreign invaders. When Ahmad Shah Abdali attacked Gokul, 40,000 Naga Sadhus fought and defeated Abdali's army. Let us know about the rigorous process of becoming a Naga Sadhu.

Contribution of Naga Sadhu Naga Sadhu Ka Itihaas

When Abdali came to Gokul to kill in Delhi and Mathura and was brutally biting people. When women were being raped and children were being sold outside the country, Ahmed Shah Abdali came face to face with Naga sadhus in Gokul.

Some 5 thousand tongs-wielding sadhus immediately turned into an army and clashed with the gullible jihadi army of lakhs. At first Abdali was taking the sadhus jokingly, but after seeing the rags of his soldiers flying away, Abdali realized that these sadhus had become a real Mahakal for the dignity of their land.

2000 Naga Sadhus, standing in front of cannon swords with pliers, tridents, became martyrs in this fierce battle, but the biggest thing was that the enemy's army could not move forward even four steps, which was piled up where it was or behind. He ran away.

Since then such terror arose that if any Muslim invader came to know that Naga Sadhus were participating in the war, he would not have fought.

Naga Sadhu Banne Ki Prakriya

The person who wants to become a Naga Sadhu is first given entry into the arena, and his celibacy is tested. This exam lasts from 6 months to a year.

When the master feels that he has become worthy, he is cast for the next stage. In the next stage the sadhu (Naga) is made to stand under the flag of the arena without clothes for 24 hours, and the guru makes him impotent by breaking a special vein of his linga, and he is called the Naga Digambar Sadhu.

Apart from men, women also become Naga Sadhus, especially foreign women. They first have to cut their hair and bathe in the Ganges 108 times, then their five gurus are made. After that she performs Shradh of herself considering herself as dead for her family and society.

After being worthy of initiation, a guru mantra is given to the sadhus, their future penance depends on this guru mantra. After becoming a Naga sadhu, one has to renounce clothes and if one has to put on clothes, then one can put on a garment of ocher color, female Naga sadhus do not need to be naked.

The training of Naga Sadhus is like that of an army soldier, Naga Sadhus are not considered as a monk but a warrior, so they often carry a trident, ax and a sword with them.

Naga Sadhus are allowed to sleep only on the ground.

Naga Sadhus always reside outside the society, they do not bow down to anyone except the ascetic, nor can they do evil to anyone.

Naga Sadhus eat only one time a day by asking for alms, they can ask for alms from maximum 7 houses and if they do not get alms from all the seven houses then they have to sleep hungry.

After taking bath in the morning, Naga sadhus have to first apply ash on the body and wear Rudraksh.

Naga sadhus have to apply only one tilak every day.

Naga Sadhus always keep tongs with them because the tongs have a lot of work while doing the dhuni.

Naga Sadhus also have different positions such as Mahant, Jamatiya, Digambar Shree, Mahamandaleshwar and Acharya Mahamandaleshwar.

They always appear in the Kumbh Mela and disappear after the fair, completing their way through the forests.

Difference Between Naga Sadhu and Aghori Baba

On hearing the name of Naga Sadhu or Aghori Baba, the image of sadhus without clothes comes in our mind who carry spears or weapons in their hands. They are always seen in Kumbh Mela only.

We always think that Naga Sadhu and Aghori Baba are one and the same. But you will be surprised to know that there is a lot of difference between them. Let us know what is the difference between Naga Sadhu and Aghori Baba. Where do they live, what do they eat, how do they do penance?

Naga Sadhus and Aghori Babas look almost the same, but there is a lot of difference in their way of worship, dress, way of doing sadhna and the process of becoming.

It takes about 12 years to become a Naga Sadhu and they have to go through the most difficult exams. Naga Sadhus live in the Akhara. Whereas to become an Aghori, one has to do penance in the crematorium and many years have to be spent in the crematorium.

To become a Naga Sadhu, one has to become a Guru and in the arena, the process of becoming a Naga Sadhu is completed in the presence of him. Aghori does not need any guru because Aghori's guru is Shiva himself.

Aghorio is considered to be the fifth incarnation of Shiva.

Read In Hindi

The Naga Sadhus :

1. Take a bath or a Holy Dip in the Sangama, or a confluence of the 3 Holy Rivers namely Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi (The River Saraswathi is hidden and a “Gupthagamini” or in other words, we cannot see the River Saraswathi in the open like how we can get to see River Ganga and River Yamuna over here at Prayagaraj).
2. The Naga Sadhus pray and perform meditation.
3. The Naga Sadhus are known to carry both venomous and non venomous Snakes, and it is not an easy thing to control the snakes.
4. The Naga Sadhus will be carrying Tridents and Swords, and their main function is to protect the Sanaathana Dharma against the odds.
5. They will be stark naked, and they will be smearing the Holy ash or Vibhuthi across their bodies.

To understand the primary difference between the Nagas and the Aghoris, let’s see what they have in common first.
Both, the Nagas and the Aghori dedicate their lives in quest of enlightenment and thereby Moksha (salvation).

The difference lies in their approach to that goal.

The Naga Sadhus use the tried and tested path of Bhakti (devotion). By leading an extremely austere life and taking on severe penance as an accelerator in their quest for enlightenment, the Nagas sadhus believe In the right handed path to salvation. For them, detachment from society helps them avoid new karmic entanglements and through prayers they seek to wipe out their past karma or nullify it.

The Aghora by contrast believe in the left handed path to god. The Aghori look at everything on earth as a tool to attain salvation. They believe in finding out what their karmic ledger requires them to do and by any means they do it. This entails delving into the dark arts, capturing lower spirit forms and holding them captive to acquire secrets of the Universe. As they learn more, they become more powerful and there in lies their biggest contrast with those on the Bhakti marg. Bhakti requires total surrender and faith. But Aghoris use their intellect to attain knowledge and in turn power. While there have been a few very learned Aghoris and even those who did attain moksha (here say) walking this path. It’s a tricky path. One misstep and you can fall the ladder of power all the way down. Except that when you fall, you pass all those you climbed on top of to get where you reached and pay back ain’t pretty then.

Have you played a game called Jeopardy? Where they give you an Answer and you have to guess a Question

Here is the answer

They are one of the ten thousand reasons why India remains a tenth rate country , scrambling on its knees for the smallest bit of technology and struggling to get a fourth generation fighter

The Question is :- WHAT ARE NAGA SADHUS!!!

You could have many other questions

• What are IT Coolies?
• Who are the RSS?
• Who are Indian Politicians?
• Who are Ramdev and Sadhguru?

Yet this one fits the Jeopardy question to the tee

Naga Sadhus are Aghoris

Now don't think they are the power Aghoris you see in films like Arundhati

Basically they are unemployed , talentless, imbeciles , too lazy to do a day's work , who take religion as a crutch in today's India steeped in Religion and fool the other idiots , also steeped in religion

Claiming enlightenment which could be a snort of Ganja

Another jeopardy question

Here is the answer

They were one of many persons who claimed to be soothsayers who could foretell the future, but who were ruthlessly beaten, purged and put into forced labor , for being parasites until the entire group disappeared with the stragglers migrating to Hong Kong during the cultural revolution.

The Question - Who were Chinese Naga Sadhus???

China purged their Naga Sadhus until others saw the wisdom of doing so

Result :-

India reveres their Naga Sadhus and regards them enlightened :-

Result:-

Signifies the color of the auspicious Agni. Anything offered to Agni as in a yagna is an offering to the gods. Hence symbolic of the sacrifice, devotion, offering of the person who adorns saffron.

Don't know. Philosophy without practical application is useless. Naga Sadhus practices can't be done by 99.9% people.