Who Are Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism?

You have certainly seen people who walk around with chalk-smudged bodies and long beards. They are called Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism. You may mostly find them on the banks of holy rivers, especially on the Ghats of Banaras, the modern-day Varanasi. Let us understand the Aghoris from a visitor’s point of view who had an encounter with them and went on to understand their activities, lifestyle and their distinct way of attaining Moksha.

The visitor says that she thinks that they are by far the most mysterious and most misunderstood people on Earth. So, let’s go and disprove some mysteries about them.

Who are Aghori Sadhus?

So, the visitor, a female, went to visit the 14 ghats of Banaras. Speaking of which, she said that the more you try to explore its holy streets, the more you find yourself lost. But then all her plans of action changed, and she got fixated on exploring the Aghoris. So, on a fine morning, she decided to visit the Harishchandra ghat, the home of Aghoris. She sat near the stairs that took to the base of the holy river Ganga. On her right, a few metres away, she heard sounds of breaking something.

She saw some people breaking the bone remains left after cremation. She was scared, yet she approached them in curiosity. She could clearly describe the Aghori look. So, she saw a group of people who had chalk-type powder or charcoal powder, she recalls, applied all over their bodies and faces. They wore nothing except a locket of beads around their throat, a red-coloured short dhoti, carrying a Trishul in hand, signifying Mahadev or Shiv Shankar. They follow Shaivism (a practice where people worship Lord Shiva).

Also, later, she came to know that the charcoal powder on their bodies was made out of the ashes of dead bodies. She was stunned, but she was determined to explore more. There are many different types of Sadhus, but that is pretty much how one can identify Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism.

Also Read: What are Various Important Threads in Hinduism?

Lifestyle of Aghori Sadhu

The female visitor went to the ghat with a friend who called her from the back and asked her to join the boat ride he just arranged. She requested one of the babas or Sadhus there to join them and tell them in detail what they are, what they do and some things about their lifestyle. One Aghori Baba politely agreed. The details that she found are mentioned below.

Aghori meaning Bhairava or untroubled or non-violent, are devotees of Lord Shiva.
Everybody is confused about identifying a real Aghori Baba as their dressing style is similar to that of the Naga Baba group.
The Aghori Sadhus seek blessings of God and punishment for mistakes in the crematorium or cremation sites, while the Naga Baba attain their purpose in the Akharas or Gymnasium, displaying Naga Sadhu power.
Aghori Babas or Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism have just one purpose in life – to attain salvation or Moksha, i.e. freedom from the world or Samsara cycle.
They are greatly influenced by Lord Shiva’s act of saving the universe by drinking the poison during the churning of the sea (Samudra Manthan). They pay respect to this incident by smoking weed, calling it Mahadev Aghori smoking.
Coming to Aghori food, they eat the flesh of dead bodies, both humans and animals, brought to them by people from cremation grounds.
Aghori women and men believe that they are disconnected from the world and are spiritual beings who can prevent their ageing by Aghori eating dead body only when they are offered eating flesh.
At the same time, they look for hard skulls to eat and cook food into.
Aghori Sadhus are found near the ghats or in the woods, away from the human crowd. So, beware of those whom you find normally roaming in the streets.

Powers of Aghori Sadhus In Hinduism

Up next, the Aghori Baba explained to the female visitor, the powers that Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism believe to have. Going back to how it all started, Aghori Baba history traces back to the birth of Aghori Keenaram, an ascetic or Tapasvi who is believed to have lived 150 years. He died during the 18th century. All Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism consider Baba Keenaram as their Guru, and the father of the Aghori clan who taught them to meditate in the name of Lord Shiva, leave worldly pleasures and attain spiritual powers.

Here are the Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism powers he talked about.

1. Power of Aghori Shiva Mantra

Meditating over the Aghori Shiva mantra chant blesses them with great spiritual powers. Some of them also attain knowledge of planets and astrology. Every day, they sit before the Aghori Yantra, a geometric drawing of the divine and chant the Aghori Shiva mantra.

The Aghori mantra dedicated to Lord Shiva is chanted 11 times by them, which is –

“ॐ अघोरेभ्योऽथ घोरेभ्यः घोर घोर तरेभ्यः सर्वतः सर्व सर्वेभ्यो नमस्ते अस्तु रुद्र रुपेभ्यः”

“Om Aghorebhyoth Ghorebhyah Ghor Ghor Tarebheyah Sarvatah Sarve Sarvebhyo Namaste Astu Rudr Roopebhyah”

Meaning: As an Aghori, I bow down to Lord Shiva and ask for his blessings.

2. Cannibalism

Cannibalism is flesh-eating offered to them after cremation, either roasted or raw. These bodies are usually insensible corpses. This sounds strange, but it is real. It is a dark activity, but Aghoris believe that only after attaining the dark they can meet the light and connect their absolute self with the divine.

3. Occult Activities

With the help of a skull, Aghoris offer ashes to the Yagya, calling a spirit or a soul who can help them. They do this occult practice to heal and prevent themselves from any injury, accident or disease. These are never carried for evil intentions. They are harmless people who just pray for their own well-being.

Also Read: What Is the Importance of Conch (Shankh) In Hinduism?

Conclusion

Through the information provided by the visitor, we conclude that Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism have rich knowledge of spirituality and do not like to live close to the human crowd. They live the life of a Tapasvi, meditating the Aghori Shiva mantra over corpses or dead bodies. They may look scary, but they are knowledgeable people who have no intentions to hurt anyone.

Greetings! I’m Ritu Mahali, a content writer at InstaAstro. Your positive feedback motivates me to continue creating valuable content. If you found this blog beneficial, feel free to connect with our in-house astrology experts by clicking here and gain insights to stay ahead of life’s challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are Aghoris in Hinduism?

Aghoris in Hinduism are people who devote their lives to the worship of Lord Shiva and stay away from the world. They have ashes of dead bodies smudged all over their bodies, and they wear skull mala.

2. Where to find real Aghori?

Real Aghoris are only found near ghats that have crematorial activities. The real ones are mostly found in different ghats of Banaras, especially the Harishchandra ghat, which is home to the Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism.

3. Are Aghoris dangerous?

No. Aghoris are not dangerous. All the activities like eating the flesh of dead bodies brought from the cremation ground, cooking food in a skull etc., are their ritual they believe will help them to connect with the divine. They do it to heal themselves and prevent them from any disease or harm.

4. Do Aghoris eat human flesh?

Aghoris eat human flesh of corpses or dead bodies. They do not kill anybody. Instead, flesh left after cremating a body or before cremating one is offered to them by some people as a spiritual practice.

5. Which God do Aghori worship?

Aghori Sadhus in Hinduism worship Lord Shiva. They call themselves as Shiavists who follow Shaivism, the practice that involves worshipping Lord Shiva, the creator and destroyer of the universe.

6. Who is the first Aghori in the world?

The first Aghori Sadhu in the world was Baba Keenaram. He is said to have lived 150 years until the second half of the 18th century. He is known as the father of Aghoris.

Also Read: The Three Pillars Of Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu And Mahesh

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