Dhirendra Jha’s Ascetic Games gives an inside view into the insidious world of sadhus and akharas, and how politics, power, and money rather than spirituality are the fuel that drives them.
Guru & Chela
Before I go any further, let me describe a couple of terms. First, a mahant is a chief of a temple or the head of a monastery. Second, an akhara is a nodal organization or a steering committee that organizes Kumbh Mela. The mahant of an akhara is supposed to be a spiritual leader. In reality, they yield powerful influence around their circle. And as a consequence, several people aspire to become one. So, how does one become a mahant?
The guru or the incumbent mahant predominantly selects his chela or disciple as his successor. However, if a mahant dies without nominating someone, the committee holds an election to elect the successor. In recent times, politics and money has been used to obtain the nomination. In some instances, the successors who had no history with the akhara or the guru have been appointed. In another instance, the author narrates the story of Mahant Yugal Bihari Das, a mahant from Ayodhya who left the town for a brief trip. His disciple, Ramagya Das, declared Yugal Bihari Das dead, conducted rituals, and appointed himself as the mahant. Upon returning, Yugal Bihari Das tried to fight back in vain and ultimately decided to leave the town for his safety.
If the mahant decides to appoint his successor in his will, it becomes even more disturbing. Since the nominee does not need the guru anymore, there are instances of mahants dying in mysterious circumstances just weeks after writing their will. To make things worse, it is a ritual to dispose of the body of a sadhu without any mutilation (read: no post-mortem). Thus, without conducting a post-mortem, it is difficult to assess the cause of death. Isn’t it perfect for the murderer?
Almost 90% of court cases in Ayodhya are of crimes committed for mahantship. It is so prevalent that it is mentioned in Ayodhya’s folklore:
Politics of Kumbh Mela
Legend has it that when gods were transporting Amrit (or elixir) after Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) in a kumbh (or pot) to hide it from the demons, drops of it fell at four places - Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain - where the Kumbh Mela is now celebrated. It is celebrated about every 12 years in alignment with Jupiter’s orbit which is approximately 11.86 years.
Over the past decades, the Kumbh Mela has become the platform for achieving political ends, especially for the BJP. It is important to delineate the differences between the BJP, RSS, and VHP. The BJP is the political wing, and RSS is the ideological-social wing that provides ideological direction and training supporters or sevaks. The VHP is the organizational wing that brings together mutts and sadhus to carry out activities at the behest of the RSS and BJP. The VHP plays a vital role by undertaking activities that are often politically unviable. This enables BJP to reap the benefits of activities without facing any political liabilities as it can always distance itself when it becomes inconvenient. For example, if VHP organizes a protest that becomes violent, BJP can conveniently state that they are not related to the VHP.
One of the earliest instances of using Kumbh Mela to achieve political ends was in the 1920s. Mahatma Gandhi attended the Kumbh Mela expecting a utopian world of respectful holy men. However, he was sorely disappointed by what he saw. Later, Nehru tried to use it as a platform to galvanize the sadhus in India’s struggle against the British, only to fail miserably.
Even VHP and the Sangh Parivar in the 1950s and 60s repeatedly tried to use Kumbh Mela to spread political messages and promote Hindu supremacist ideology. In 1966, VHP organized World Hindu Conference at Allahabad Kumbh which was well attended by all sadhus and raised a clarion call for the ban on cow slaughter. On 7 November 1966, more than one lakh sadhus gheraoed the Parliament before it became violent. Indira Gandhi crushed the protest by calling the army and imposing a curfew. The protest was brutally crushed and Sadhus were beaten. This left sadhus disillusioned. Even during the imposition of the emergency, sadhus supported Indira Gandhi and in return, she assured the government would not interfere with religious proceedings at the Kumbh Mela.
Now VHP had to restrategize and gain the trust of the sadhus. They decided to infiltrate sadhus by swayamsevaks and pracharks in the 1980s. As the number of sadhus with RSS backgrounds increased, VHP’s efforts and messages garnered greater support. VHP also started organizing Dharam Sansad, which, unlike the World Hindu Conference was open for sadhus as well as supporters. It started taking an ‘uber militant tone.’
Initially, the VHP issued a diktat to the central government for the construction of the Ram temple in 1989. Since the government had the outside support of the BJP, they did not press for it. After Congress formed the government, it was clear what VHP wanted to achieve. In 1992, they organized the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in Ayodhya near the Babri Masjid - and the rest is history.
Recognizing True Naga
One of the biggest attractions in the Kumbh Mela is the nagas - people who were nothing but marigold garlands and smear their bodies with ash. Nagas - which means naked - are attached to akharas who go through special initiation and abandon their clothes. Unlike popular opinion that nagas were historically spiritual gurus, they were primarily mercenaries and behaved like any other group of professional fighters - driven by money rather than political agenda or spiritual awakening.
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| Courtesy: Vitthal Jondhale - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
In recent times, nagas are used primarily as a prop at the Kumbh Mela. Since half of Ayodhya and Haridwar are owned by akharas, nagas are used to keep alive the symbols of their mercenary past showcased during Kumbh Melas. However, with the number of nagas dwindling and pressure to attract media attention, there has been a rise of ‘fake’ nagas.
To become a true naga, a person has to go through an elaborate process divided broadly into three rituals. First, a guru whispers a mantra into their ear and gives a new name. Second, there is an elaborate ritual to sever ties with their past and escape the cycle of life and death. Third and perhaps the most gruesome ritual is what differentiates true naga from others. This ritual - called tang tode, meaning 'broken leg' - is to break the membrane beneath the skin of the sanyasi's penis and it is believed that this emasculates him before he becomes a naga. The guru pulls the genitals three times with immense force. One of the true nagas mentions that this process left him unconscious after withering and shrieking in pain.
Final Thoughts
Ascetic Games is less than 200-page long — but don’t be fooled by its size as it packs enough content. The author has spent significant time traveling with sadhus and rigorously researched the world of sadhus. It gives an insight into the inside workings and insidious world of sadhus and akharas. However, it is difficult to keep up with hundreds of names - Das, Giris, Saraswatis, Ramshankars, Ramratis - thrown one after the other. One wishes the author had, instead, followed the trajectory of a couple of key people instead of including all the stories. Despite its flaws, it is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the game of thrones played in the name of spirituality at the holy places.
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