At the Kumbh Mela, the most striking and photographed of all ascetics are the Naga sadhus what with their ash-smeared bodies, garlands of marigold and rudraksh beads.
These are the traditional martial sect of sadhus, and almost all Akharas have them. They are immediately identifiable by the minimal clothing they wear. This is indicative of the highest form of renunciation. And though today they might not go to war to protect Sanatan, they are in a constant state of agitation against the elements of nature. So, come rain or shine, a Naga sadhu will be immediately identifiable through his attire.
It was Adi Shankaracharya who realised that for Sanatan to be saved from the constant onslaught it was facing, the protection of only spiritual power was not enough but young monks would also have to strengthen their bodies and acquire the skills to use weapons. If need be, they should be ready to protect their temples, devotees and monasteries. Many a times, local kings would also plead with the Naga sadhus to help them. When Ahmed Shah Abdali attacked Gokul, the birthplace of Lord Krishna in 1757, it was the Nagas who protected it.
Today, Naga sadhus, though trained in combat, do not fight.
To train to become a Naga sadhu is a gruelling exercise. One must, for instance, eat only once, sleep on the floor, live life by the Guru mantra, never criticise anyone, not bow before anyone but a sanyasi and also have his sexual prowess destroyed through potent shlokas. A Naga will also perform his own last rites before being granted full status as a sadhu. Contrary to popular perception, women also become Naga sadhus and they wear one piece of yellow cloth.
One Naga sadhu who has drawn attention all over the country is Mahant Raj Giri (81), who belongs to the Juna akhara. He is better known as ‘Tarzan Baba’ and drives an immediately recognisable bright orange Ambassador car gifted to him sometime in the 70s by a devotee who he had cured of a persistent skin ailment. He has many stories about the car, a 1972 model - the most wild of which is that it was used for the shooting of a film called ‘Tarzan’.
He said that his car, despite its age, had never caused him any trouble, and that he has driven to Nepal in it. And whenever it does break down, a mechanic is nearby. The sum total of his worldly possessions - some bedding, his prayer mat and a chillum (smoking pipe) travels with him in his car. Even on the mela grounds, he often sleeps in his car.
Giri said he started by learning how to drive a tractor which his guru had. Though many sadhus now have flashy cars, he said that he would not give it up. “Do you discard your parents when they become old,” he asked.
“This is India’s own car. It has an energy which you will not find in today’s cars,” he said.
