Who Are The Aghoris?

India has always been a land of saints, sadhus and mysticism. When it comes to the sadhus, all of us have come across various kinds of sadhus. Some of them are dressed in orange robes, some in black while others are not dressed at all! When it comes to the definition of a sadhu, we think of people who have renounced worldly pleasures and seek salvation by devoting their life to God.

But there are also sadhus who seek God through very unconventional practices. They live in places which are considered dreadful by others. Cremation grounds is one of them. These sadhus smear cremation ash on their bodies, drink from human skull bowls and also feed on human flesh. Yes, we are talking about the Aghori sadhus of India.

The Aghoris are known for their cannibalistic practices, animal sacrifices and other bizarre rituals. They are the ardent devotees of Lord Shiva in His Bhairava form. Their life is directed towards achieving 'moksha' from the cycle of rebirth and realising self's identity with the Absolute. They live in an altered state of consciousness and through transcending the social taboos, their ultimate goal is to realise the non-duality (Advaita).

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Aghoris, however, are different from the Shivanetras who do not indulge in extreme tamasic practices. The Shivanetras also worship Shiva but through the Sattvic means. The term 'Aghori' is derived from the Sanskrit word Aghor which means absence of darkness. Aghor implies a natural state of consciousness in which there is no fear or disgust. Therefore, an Aghori is one who is fearless and does not discriminate.

Let us take a close look at these Aghori sadhus, what are their practices and what do they believe in?

The Uncoventional & Terrifying Rituals

Aghoris believe that nothing in this world is impure. Everything comes out of Shiva and goes back into Shiva. Therefore, everything existing in the world is pure. Shiva is the deity of destruction and is said to reside in the cremation grounds. That is why the Aghoris live in or near the cremation sites. They cover themselves with the ashes of the dead because it is considered the purest thing existing on Earth. The ash is a reminder that nothing in the world is permanent and everything has to become ashes once its lifetime is complete.

The Uncoventional & Terrifying Rituals

The Aghoris use the bones and skull of the dead humans as jewellery or making bowls. They gather these remains from the corpses which are thrown into the Ganges after cremation. It is a practice in Hinduism that the corpses of holy men, pregnant women, people bitten by snakes, still born babies should not be cremated. They have to be immersed in the holy water of the Ganges. These corpses are used by the Aghoris as altars or even consumed as a reminder of mortality.

Shiva: The Supreme Being

Aghoris believe in the Bhairava form of Lord Shiva who is the Supreme Being. Shiva is responsible for everything that occurs: conditions, causes and effects. The Aghoris believe that every soul is Shiva is covered with the 8 worldly bonds or ashtamahapasha. These eight bonds are sensual pleasure, anger, greed, obsession, fear and hatred. All the sadhanas or practices of the Aghoris are directed towards removal of these bonds.

Beliefs

Every practice of the Aghoris is directed at getting rid of the eight bonds which prevent a human from realising Shiva. Sadhana at the cremation grounds destroys the greatest fear of humans that is death. Sexual practices with certain riders and control releases one from the sensual desires. Being naked destroys the obsession with the basic necessities of life and so on. The Aghoris believe as a soul gets released from these eight bonds, he/she becomes one with Sadashiva and obtains Moksha.

Black Magic Myths

Seeing the bizarre behaviour of the Aghoris, people often relate them to black magic. But it is not the truth. They do have a lot of unnatural powers due to the prolonged practice of yoga sadhana. But they do not perform any black magic. Their rituals and practices are only dedicated to the attainment of salvation and realising the true nature of Shiva.

Whom Do The Aghoris Worship?

The Aghoris worship Shiva and Kali. Kali or Tara is the one of ten Mahavidyas (wisdom Goddess) who can only bless an Aghori with supernatural powers. They worship the Goddess in the form of Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi and Bhairavi. They also worship Shiva in His most fierce form like Mahakal, Bhairava and Veerabhadra. The Hinglaj Mata is the patron Goddess of the Aghoris.

Simple Philosophy

According the Aghorian philosophy, the universe resides in them. The Aghoris represent the true human form by being naked. We arrive in the world in this form and we leave the world also in this form. So, they have no shame in being naked. They are beyond the feelings of love, hatred, jealousy and pride. They believe God exists in everything, even the most unholy and the unclean.

The Misunderstood Sect

The Aghoris are a highly misunderstood people. People often associate them with black magic and outcasts because they live among the dead. But they are simple, holy men who follow extreme forms of living in search of God. They also have the power to heal. The Aghoris are believed to perform 'transformative healing' by transfering the pollution froma patient's body and return him back to health. This has nothing to do with black magic. It is the superior state of body and mind of the Aghoris which make them so powerful.