My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Holy land, holy faces.

INDIA | Thursday, 4 July 2013 | Views [364] | View Larger Image

Meet Dhananjay, one among the hundreds of sadhus at Varanasi. Hunchbacked and crippled, he roams the ghats or cremation sites begging for alms from the thousands who come to the holy city to see off their near ones to another world. Hindus believe that giving alms to sadhus brings salvation to the soul.

Blessings from Hanuman! In the myth Ramayana, Hanuman was an ardent devotee of Rama. A monkey god who performed impossible feats. Much like this wandering sadhu, who contorted his face, wielded his gada or mace and put up a mighty show that left me completely awestruck.

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In Varanasi, there are a tribe of ascetic sadhus who have renounced their families and all worldly possessions in their search of god. They are the Aghoris. Even among sadhus, they are an extreme lot, with a number of taboo rituals and practices.

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My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Holy land, holy faces.

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