Ganges, Varanasi, India (photo)

Portrait Of A Sadhu, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Varanasi sadhu. In addition to hosting religious festivals, Varanasi is home to a large concentration of sadhus. Sadhus are Hindu monks who renounce most sensual pleasures. Traditionally they live solitary lives, always on the move. They own only what they carry and subsist on alms. They are easily identified by their long beards and dreadlocks which are knotted into huge buns. Some wear robes, while others wear only a loincloth or go completely naked. Shiva sadhus bear the emblems of Shiva: the trident, the two-sided drum, and the necklace of seeds. Some smear their bodies with ash to symbolize Shiva’s role as the Destroyer who reduces everything to dust. On their foreheads, most sadhus paint a tika – a symbol that represents their sect affiliation. In imitation of Shiva, many sadhus use Bhang to boost meditation and achieve transcendental states.