It is said that Baba Kinaram, born in Chanduali, Uttar Pradesh, was an Aghori ascetic. According to some sources, he is considered the founder of the Shaiva Aghori sect.
New Delhi: Romanian religious historian and professor at the University of Chicago, Mircea Eliade, wrote a book in 1958 titled Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, where the author said that the Aghoris are very ancient ascetics, the successors of the Kapalikas, or ‘skull bearers.’ In the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Aghoris and Naga Sadhus are grabbing a lot of attention. The social media is full of videos where Sadhus can be performing their practices.
It is said that Baba Kinaram, born in Chanduali, Uttar Pradesh, was an Aghori ascetic. According to some sources, he is considered the founder of the Shaiva Aghori sect. He was believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Pilgrim from China shocked to see Aghoris:
The meaning of Aghor is that which is not harsh, not frightening, but simple and without discrimination. One who wants to become an Aghori should remove hatred from the mind. In the 7th century, when Emperor Harshvardhan ruled, Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang, who visited India, mentioned Aghoris and Nagas in his memoirs.
He wrote in astonishment that in north-western India, Buddhists lived with naked ascetics who covered themselves in ash. They wore garlands of bones on their heads. However, Hiuen Tsang did not give them the name Kapalik or any special name at that time.
How are the final rites performed for an Aghori upon death?
The Aghori tradition says that the body of an Aghori ascetic is not cremated upon death. When an Aghori dies, the body is laid upside down, with the head placed downward and the feet upward. After this, the body is left for about 40 days, allowing insects to infest it.
Once this period has passed, the body is retrieved, and half of it is immersed in the Ganges. The head is preserved and used for spiritual practices.
Who is Lord Dattatreya, the God of Tantra-Mantra?
Lord Dattatreya is considered the founder of the Aghori tradition. It is believed that Dattatreya is an incarnation of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, all residing together in one physical body. Dattatreya is worshiped in all schools of Tantra, which is the philosophy followed in the Aghori tradition. He is often depicted in Hindu artwork and sacred texts, including folk tales and Puranas, which describe the Aghori tantric worship as their main practice.
