Human beings have always been fascinated by ritual – especially that which is arcane, sacred and profane. Welcome to the world of the Aghori.
Aghoris represent a gruesome intersection of the three. Their ash-smeared faces, elaborate bone necklaces and composed yet piercing gaze make them stand out. The ash, taken from graveyards and cremated corpses, is just one aspect of their lack of aversion to what is normally considered repulsive.
They live in and hang around graveyards, fearing no living or dead creature. They eat and drink everything from human feces to urine and putrid flesh. They smoke ganja and, sometimes, sleep with the dead.
While many Indians are aware of their existence, they have traditionally been considered as both taboo and sacred. You find them most often in holy places of pilgrimage in Northern India. Their blessings can be both feared and sought after, in particular, the ashes they carry. Medical and cultural anthropologist Ronald L. Barrett describes orthodox Brahmins as scrambling to use these, believed to hold strong medicinal value.
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