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Aghori
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The Aghori are a Hindu sect believed to have split off from the Kapalika order (which dates from 1000 AD) in the fourteenth century AD. Most other Hindus condemn them as non-Hindu because of their cannibalistic rituals.
ri ascetics, while being devotees of the Hindu God Shiva, are monists who adhere to the common Hindu belief in liberation (moksha) from the cycle of reincarnation (samsara).
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The Aghori are a Hindu sect believed to have split off from the Kapalika order (which dates from 1000 AD) in the fourteenth century AD. Most other Hindus condemn them as non-Hindu because of their cannibalistic rituals.
Doctrines
Aghori ascetics, while being devotees of the Hindu God Shiva, are monists who adhere to the common Hindu belief in liberation (moksha) from the cycle of reincarnation (samsara). This liberation is a realization of the self's identity with the absolute. Because of this monistic doctrine, the Aghoris maintain that all opposites are ultimately illusory. The purpose of embracing pollution through various practices is the realization of non-duality through transcending social taboos, and seeing the illusory nature of all conventional categories.
In essence, Aghoris base their beliefs on two principles. First, that Lord Shiva is perfect. Second, that Shiva is responsible for everything; every rock, tree, animal, and even every thought. Due to this, everything that exists must be perfect, and to deny the perfection of anything would be to deny the Gods. Aghoris drink alcohol and eat meat.
History
Although akin to the Kapalika ascetics of medieval Kashmir, with whom there may be a historical connection, the Aghoris trace their origin to Kina Ram, an ascetic who is said to have lived 150 years, dying during the second half of the eighteenth century. Kina Ram is thought to have been an incarnation of the Hindu God Shiva, as have been each of Kina Ram's successors.
Aghoris go in search of the powers and they gain it by all means and they again go in search for the next bigger power than the gained one. So they believe that by gaining more and more powers they can avoid the punarjanma (rebirth) in this life.
When they visualize that their death is not far away, they then pick one of their students (successor) and takes the student to the deep forest area and they give the responsibility of their body to their shishya (successor) who then eats the guru. This practice is also called shavabhojana and their belief is that the guru (teacher) is inside his shishya and has transferred all their powers to his shishya (successor).
Symbols
The Aghori ascetic is himself a symbol of the God Shiva. He goes naked or wears the shroud of a corpse, he covers himself in the ashes of the cremation ground. The corpse upon which he meditates is a symbol of his own body and the corpse devouring ritual is a symbol of the transcendence of his lower self and a realisation of the greater, all pervading self.
Adherents
Due to the secrecy of this religious sect, no official figures are available.
Headquarters
The main akhada of Aghoris is Kina Ram's hermitage or ashram in Varanasi. Here Kina Ram is buried in a tomb or samadhi which is a centre of pilgrimage for Aghoris and Aghori devotees. Another centre is Aghor Sodh Sansthan, Ravindrapuri, Varanasi. Apart from this, any cremation ground would be a holy place for an Aghori ascetic..
Cannibalism
The Aghoris distinguish themselves from other Hindu sects and priests by their alcoholic and cannibalistic rituals. The corpses, which may be either pulled from a river [including Ganges] or obtained from cremation grounds, are consumed raw as the Aghoris believe that what others consider as a "dead man" is, in fact, nothing but a natural matter devoid of the life force it once contained. Therefore, while for ordinary folks it may be called cannibalism, for them it's using what is useless for the rest of the world. In fact, they claim to be scientists trying to discover how matter converts from one form to another.
In popular culture
- In Tad Williams' Otherland series, the main member of the resistance group the Circle, Nandi Paradivash, spent several years as an Aghori ascetic while preparing for the final confrontation with the Brotherhood.
- 2009 Tamil movie Naan Kadavul's lead character is an Aghori named "Rudhra", played by Arya.
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