Aghori’s
are a kind of ascetic Shiva sadhus found predominantly in Varanasi region of
Uttar Pradesh state of India. The true meaning of Aghoris is the one who is
fearless and who does not discriminate.
The aghor
sect was founded by Kina ram, the first aghori and according to folk fare; he
lived up to 150 years and died during the second half of the 18th century.
Aghori are associated with cannibalism and rituals using human skulls and
animal sacrifices. Aghoris are distinguished from other Hindu sects by their
alcoholic and cannibalistic rituals. Aghoris in India are beyond human
imagination with their rituals and mysterious practices.
Since, the
aghoris are devotees and followers of Shiva so they believe that Shiva is the
supreme god and an embodiment of perfection. And according to them, Shiva is
absolute, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. According to them, whatever
happens in this universe happens because of Shiva and among the female deities,
goddess Kali is the most sacred form for them.
For the
Aghoris nothing is impure or filthy. They eat things like rotten food and left
over food from garbage tins, animal’s faeces and animal’s urine. Aghoris eat
left over from human dead bodies on the banks of river Ganges. They drink in a
bowl made of human skull. According to them, if you are able to concentrate on
god even while doing the most perverted acts, then you reach in unison with
god.
Aghoris
have no hatred policy towards any creature or thing they do not have biases
based on religious views, skin colour, linguistic choices, political
approaches, sexual orientation, gender, race etc, they believe in oneness.
Aghoris
believe that everyone is born an Aghori as newborn child doesn’t distinguish
between his faeces, dirt and toys and plays with everything and starts
distinguishing among them only after their society tells. As the child grows up
and makes choices on materialistic basis, only then he loses the in born
qualities of Aghori.
Aghoris have no fears in being naked and are
often seen covering their body with minimalistic clothes. Sometimes, they are
even seen completely naked covering their body with ashes from dead bodies
after they are burnt on pyre.
One of the
most bizarre ritual of aghoris is there tabooed Sexual Practices, such as they
believe in having sex in the midst of dead bodies give rise to supernatural
powers. They make sure that no women is forced to have sex with them and also
that the women must be menstruating while the act goes on.
The Hindu
cremation ground, the place which is considered dreadful by others is home for
Aghoris.
The life
of an Aghori Sadhu is not easy, to become like them firstly an Aghori must find
a teacher and do what the teacher tells him to do and Aghori must find a human
skull known as “kappala” and use only this as a ritual tool before. And one has
to meditate for about twelve years and complete certain rituals under the
guidance of an Aghori guru in order to enhance one’s spiritual strength. There
are certain rules one must follow to become an aghori an Aghori must apply pyre
on his body to symbolically show the nature of the Lord Shiva. The final part
of ritual requires eating of rotten human flesh and also meditating sitting on
a dead corpse.
