Naked Knights of Hinduism

Every three years, a Kumbh churns out from our geography, our cultural core.

- Bandeep Singh

A vortex of humanity milling at the glistening bathing ghats dips into tradition and emerges recharged for its maddening pace of life. It is a festival of congregation where we meet our essential selves… and the Naga sadhus. The unkempt, ash-covered, fully naked, expletive-spewing sanyasis have become embodiments of the vibrant spirit of the festival. A popular belief suggests that it was Adi Shankaracharya who established the order of ‘warrior sadhus’ to protect Hindu dharma. The Nagas (Sanskrit for mountain dwellers) were apocryphally adept with both shastra (weapons) and shaastras (scriptures). Despite being the most ubiquitous subjects for the millions of cameras at the festival, the Nagas are a reclusive lot, repelling curious people with their brusque behaviour. Group Photo Editor Bandeep Singh was given rare access to stay with and photograph the sadhus of the Juna Akhara, the largest Naga congregation at the Kumbh, earlier this month

NAGA SADHUS

Naga sadhu Sureshvar Giri, 60, a farmer-turned sanyasi, flings his jatas (matted locks) to dust off excess ash. The Nagas, who are mostly Shaivaites, have adopted the appearance of Shiva as described in the Vedas

NAGA SADHUS