NAGA SADHUS, KUMBH MELA AND A LESSON OF LIFE

Many people at home and abroad are much curious about Naga Sadhus for various reasons. Photo: dailymail.com

 By LBTHAPA

The world of Naga Sadhus is enigmatic and mysterious. Naga Sadhus or Naked Yogis are the staunch followers of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is one of the most powerful gods in the universe. Naga yogis believe in Lord Shiva. Naga Yogis discard all material things, including clothes to become a complete Naga Yogi. Living naked is evidence that they have no attachment to the material world.   

The tradition of becoming a Naga Yogi is quite systematic and difficult. The entire process is strictly monitored by the senior Naga gurus (masters). Unless and until the Naga guru is convinced, the young yogi cannot be made a Naga Yogi. The Naga Yogi must renounce worldly pleasures including sensual gratifications. They should willingly give up their family and friends to become Naga Yogis. After passing through several stages of intense penance, meditation, and yoga, a Naga Yogi becomes a Naga Sadhu. 

Many people at home and abroad are much curious about Naga Sadhus for various reasons. The first thing about the Naga Sadhus is their extreme lifestyle. No matter how cold is the weather Naga sadhus will put no clothes on their bodies. During winter when everyone shivers in bone-chilling cold, Naga Sadhu would remain calm and composed without clothes on their bodies. Regular meditation and the practice of celibacy help improve the immune power of the body to an incredible level. It is therefore almost rare to see Naga Sadhus going to hospitals and taking pills like general people.     

Photo: kumbhcampindia.com

Photo: archive.news18.com

Photo: archive.news18.com

Photo: archive.news.com

When I was a young student in Bhopal, India, I used to visit a big lake (Bada Talab), where lived a Naga Shadu. My college, Hamidia College of Arts, Commerce & Law College, Bhopal, was hardly 8km away from the Naga Shadu’s ashram. From this college, I completed my master’s degree in Economics in 1990. I was one of the frequent visitors at the Naga Sadhu’s ashram. I always liked his spiritual talks. There were other people who would also visit the Naga Sadhu. In fact, the Naga Sadhu was a scholar. He could speak seven languages fluently. Among the seven languages, he would always prefer English to communicate with people. One day when I insisted, he said he was a gold medalist in M.Phil from the University of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh...amazing indeed! 

On many occasions, I had seen some women would visit the Naga Sadhu’s ashram and worshipped his lingam (penis). He allowed them to worship his lingam on Sunday and Monday. Other days Naga Sadhu would spend most of his time in meditation. Most of the women would visit there with their husbands, but a few of them would also visit alone or with their friends. I could see shyness on their faces while worshiping the Naga Sadhu’s lingam. However, the agony of not having a child was more painful than the embarrassment of worshiping the Naga Sadhu’s sleeping monster.

When the women went I asked the Naga Sadhu why they worshiped his lingam. Upon this, Naga Sadhu explained: “Worshiping the holy lingam has some meaning. Everything has energy; even nonliving things have energy. As far as sex is concerned, it has enormous creative energy. Those people who do not understand its creative energy, they waste this energy for reproduction and sexual pleasure. But, Naga Sadhus transform this energy to understand Brahma, the omnipotent. 

Potential energy emanates from the phallus of a Siddha (enlightened) Naga Sadhu. When women come closer to such phallus and think of conceiving babies, the energy of the phallus does help them in conceiving. I seldom eat or drink yet we sadhus can survive months or even years without food and water. Do you think this is possible by science? But yes, this is possible for sadhus one like us”.   

In 1990 the result of the MA (Economics) final year was published. I got through the exam. Due to preparation for the exam, I had not seen the Naga Sadhu for three months. One fine morning, I purchased some fruits for the Naga Sadhu and went to meet him. I got down at Hamidia road and walked for 15 minutes to reach the Naga Sadhu’s ashram. When I reached the Naga sadhu’s ashram, I saw some people standing there. I made a way through the crowd and reached the main door of the ashram. I saw Naga Sadhu’s lifeless body…he was no more. The body of Naga Sadhu was taken to Hamidia Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. 

I was always fascinated by the life of Sadhus, Sanyasis, and of course Naga Sadhus. After 11 years of the death of the Naga Sadhu, I got yet another opportunity to spend some time with Naga Sadhus at the Kumbh Mela at Allahabad in 2001. 

After post graduating from Bhopal University (now Barkatullaha University Bhopal), India, in 1990, I was restless. I spent some time at Belur Math, founded by Swami Vivekananda, West Bengal. I did also live in Pune for eight years then I came to Nepal, my homeland, in 1998. In Nepal, I began teaching in colleges and schools and in the meantime continued freelance writing. It was 2^nd November 2000 I had a serious argument with the principal of a school, where I was teaching. As a result, I submitted my resignation and left the school for good. 

About that time I came to know about the Kumbh Mela to be held in Allahabad in 2001. On 20^th November 2000, I got a bus from Pokhara to Sunauli. From Sunauli I got another bus to Gorakhpur. From Gorakhpur, I boarded on Gorakhpur Pune Express. It took nearly 9 hours to reach the Allahabad railway station. From Allahabad railway station I phoned my college friend Panjer Kaushik. He told me on the phone that I should take an auto to civil lines, which was hardly at the distance of 10 minutes. When I reached there, my friend was waiting for me. We were classmates and passed MA (Economics) together from Hamidia Arts, Commerce & Law College, Bhopal. My friend was working in his uncle’s company as an accountant. His parents were living in Shaket Nagar, Bhopal. 

I had a wonderful time with my friend in Allahabad. We visited several places but my focus was on Kumbh Mela. We together visited to see the preparation of Kumbh Mela. He showed me the place where Shahi Snan (Royal Bathing) would take place on 29 January. It was expected that about 15 million people would bathe. Another interesting thing was that there were some Hollywood stars like Madonna, Sharon Stone, Pierce Brosnan, Demi Moore, and Richard Gere who were expected to attend Kumbh Mela. In addition, the Dalai Lama was also to take a holy bath in the Ganges. I was very excited.    

Media coverage was at an amazing level. All the international media giants were on the field. There were so many vehicles with their antenna and dishes for a live telecast about Kumbh Mela. The Allahabad government had allotted over 30 tents for the visiting journalists. I was surprised to see about 125 crew members of a spiritual channel, Aastha, were stationed on the ground. They were reporting 24 hours nonstop about the Kumbh Mela. On the day of special bathing, I saw some political heavyweights at the Sangam. They were Murli Manohar Joshi (then Human resources minister), Sushma Swaraj (then Information and broadcasting minister), Uma Bharati (then minister for youth and sports), and Digvijay Singh, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. There were several other high-ranking government bureaucrats.      

In the meantime, I had an opportunity to take a plunge at the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna. The place is popularly called Sangam. A Kumbh Mela is organized every 12 years and a Maha Kumbh Mela is held every 144 years. Legend has it that gods and demons churn the ocean that finally produced elixir. In a skirmish over an elixir, four drops of elixir fell on Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik, and Ujjain. One interesting fact about Kumbh Mela is that in the 7^th century, Hsuan-Tsang, a Buddhist monk who traveled all the way from China and attended the Kumbh Mela with emperor Harsha. 

THE DARK PART OF KUMBH MELA 

Photo: roadsandkingdoms.com

While staying in Allahabad, my friend Panjer Kaushik had introduced me to his friend Raghubir Yadav, a sub-inspector at Allahabad Civil Lines police station. While speaking with him at his office, he told me something that gave me a shock. I had never thought something like that can also happen during the Kumbh Mela. 

“Every time when Kumbh Mela is organized, don’t think that people go there to wash away their sins by dipping in the holy river. Many family members bring their elderly members to drown in the river because they want to get rid of them. Many elderly people are also left in the crowd. Police arrest some people on charges of killing their elderly members by drowning. However, such cases are very difficult to prove in court and the culprits make an easy escape. Some stranded elderly members wish to join their families, but not all. I know there are many elderly people, who refuse to see their families again. They rather prefer to lead a religious life in temples and ashrams,” explained sub-inspector Yadav. 

Sub-inspector Yadav advised me to meet Din Dayal Verma. When I asked him what was special with the man! He said: “Go to Jhunsi and meet Din Dayal Verma. I am very sure you will like his work. He is running an old age home ‘Bandhu Ashram’. I don’t think it will be difficult for you to find the ashram. Jhunsi is not very far from here. I personally recommend you to meet the man”. I agreed to meet the man without asking any more questions. 

I took an auto and asked the auto driver to take me to Jhunsi. The driver told me it was about 11km away from civil lines and he could take me there in 30 minutes. I asked him if he knew Bandhu Ashram. He nodded his head in the assertion. The driver took me to Bandhu Ashram in less than 30 minutes. The Ashram was little away from the meddling crowd of the town. The ashram was small but well managed. I saw some elderly men and women in the garden. Some of them greeted me with a broad smile on their faces, while others just stared at me in bewilderment. 

I asked one of the cleaners about Din Dayal Verma. I got freaked out when the man replied that he was Din Dayal Verma. What a pleasant surprise! I gave him sub-inspector Yadav’s reference. Mr. Verma received me warmly. Mr. Verma told me that sub-inspector Yadav was one of the long-time well-wishers of the ashram. “Sub-inspector Yadav had helped me when I was literarily on the street. He gave me support and later helped me to start this ashram. Had he not helped me, I would have never been able to do what I am doing today. Sub-inspector Yadav is a very kind-hearted man I have ever met in my life” added Mr. Verma.    

“Previously, I was working at a bank in Indore,” said Mr. Verma and continued. “After the retirement, I was living with my son and daughter. I arranged my son’s marriage and he had three lovely kids. I married off my daughter and deposited some cash in her account. My son was very angry when I deposited some money into his sister’s account. His attitude towards me had changed ever since. 

“However, to show my love and trust for my son I registered my house in my son’s name. That was my grave mistake. My son’s behavior did completely change once I registered the house in his name. His mean behavior made me hopeless and helpless. I felt alone without my wife, who was dead. It was hardly one month after my wife’s death; my son had left me at a temple in Allahabad and never returned. I had a rough time in the beginning; later I accepted my fate and decided to do something good for the elderly people, who had been abandoned by their family members”. This was truly a sad story. Despite my best effort, tears welled up in my eyes.    

While staying at the Bandhu Ashram, I met Dr. Rishikesh Upadhya, a physician. Dr. Upadhya was regularly visiting Ashram for the last two years. He would examine the elderly people and give them medicines for free. 

POSTSCRIPT

Dear esteemed readers of Read 2b Happy. You may be thinking that why I wrote such an old story today. Yes, there is a reason to write this story today. Only a day before yesterday a friend of mine from Allahabad informed me by an email that Din Dayal Verma was no more. He passed away at the age of 95. May the great soul rest in peace! I had seen him caring for many elderly people of his ashram when his own health was broken. He never cared about his health, but he was always worried about the elderly members of his ashram. He lived for them and he died for them. Although I am not being able to attend the last journey of his life, I want to pay my sincere tribute to him. Din Dayal Verma’s selfless service for elderly people has become exemplary work today. 

LB Thapa is a freelance writer and author.

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