Why sadhus smoke

While sadhus can be divided into a zillion different sects, most follow either the god Vishnu the preserver or Shiva the destroyer, and thus, the rejuvenator.

Shiva is generally pictured meditating alone in the Himalayas, his eyes half-closed from the effects of his hash habit. Thousands of backpackers descend on India each year, some of them lured by easily available cannabis and hash. While the police have cracked down in Goa, where only foreign tourists are partaking, they stay out of the way elsewhere, especially in pilgrimage areas.

So by becoming social outcasts and smoking ganja or charas, the sadhus can claim that they are only trying to emulate Shiva. If even the most devout Hindu man were to sit down to talk with a group of sadhus, he would have no choice but to join in if the chillum came his way.

To refuse the pipe would be to pass up the chance, the obligation really, to share a holy experience with the ascetics. And many people do join them. As I sat for a half-hour with a group of three sadhus near Manikaran, a steady stream of visitors came through: an old woman depositing some coins and flowers by a shrine of tridents, a farmer dropping off some vegetables, and two broken-down truck drivers with a big hunk of charas to share.

The last two were most warmly welcomed. When I naively asked one sadhu how he got around the country, he looked puzzled. Some men draped in orange rags are merely the latter seeking a more profitable method. Of those that are for real, not all of them reach enlightenment, but what religion makes the effort so much fun? To top it off, the afterlife is a nice one as well. According to Hindu beliefs, when a sadhu dies he leaves his body and floats off to Mount Kailash, the source of the Ganges River and the home of Shiva.

There he goes about a life of doing pretty much what he was doing anyway: smoking heavenly hash and meditating in divine bliss. A lot of the older ones have obviously been at this a long time. Many have a beard that tickles their navel and long locks wrapped into a towering bun on their head. You put your weeeed in it, man! One of them, we were told, was a local truck driver who just comes over to hang.

The hut was built mostly with donations from foreign nationals, who flock to Rishikesh in search of inner peace, but end up chilling at the Giri house and getting high. Shankar Giri right , is years-old, and has been trying to build this hut for five years, but the Ganga keeps washing it away.

Like Kamal, he was made a sanyasi at age six, but he doesn't know why. As smoke thickened the air, I thought I caught a glimpse of meaning. A couple of rounds later, the sadhus had struck up a rapport with photographer Pranav, over being Gujarati.

He asked them if they ever had trouble with the police. Abay chalo. He stays in touch with people who give him donations via Whatsapp, he said. As the sun reached its apex, we tried to leave. We declined their offer. Get our Daily News Capsule Subscribe. Thank you for subscribing to our Daily News Capsule newsletter. Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin. Sign Up. Edit Profile. Subscribe Now. Your Subscription Plan Cancel Subscription.