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Sadhus

Photographs of sadhus (holy people) in India. A sadhu is a “holy” person who has renounced the material world in favor of service to god and pursuit of enlightenment. Generally respected and deferred to by Hindus, they run the gamut from rock star religious figureheads to elderly homeless men on skid row. Gandhi is the most famous sadhu. Sadhus can be encountered anywhere in India, but are more prevalent in “holy” cities like Pushkar, Varanasi, etc., and at Hindu religious festivals. I’ve met and photographed a lot of sadhus, and they’re generally a very nice lot, jolly and open-minded, as one would expect. It is an unhealthy social dynamic in my opinion though, that these men are to be deferred to by “lesser” people. I remember once offering a covered seat to a poor woman and her two young children who were stuck out in a heavy thunderstorm, but the sadhu sitting next to me said no, they can’t sit here, it would be demeaning to his stature.

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Skinny old baba reads from religious texts along the Ganges River, Meer Ghat, Varanasi, India
Skinny old baba reads from religious texts along the Ganges River, Meer Ghat, Varanasi, India
Sadhus walk past a vibrant blue building in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhus walk past a vibrant blue building in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Humble sadhu (holy man) in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Humble sadhu (holy man) in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar ...
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar ...
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar ...
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar ...
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar ...
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar ...
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
A sadhu wrings his dreadlocks while bathing in Pushkar Lake, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A sadhu wrings his dreadlocks while bathing in Pushkar Lake, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Two sadhus walk along the Ganges River in Haridwar, India
Two sadhus walk along the Ganges River in Haridwar, India
A boy dresses as Shiva in blue with a yellow tripundra to pose for photos with tourists, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A boy dresses as Shiva in blue with a yellow tripundra to pose for photos with tourists, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A group of Sadhus play music in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A group of Sadhus play music in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A boy dressed as Shiva poses for photos with tourists during the Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A boy dressed as Shiva poses for photos with tourists during the Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A man selling old coins (fake old coins) looks at an image of Sai Baba on his smartphone, Delhi, India
A man selling old coins (fake old coins) looks at an image of Sai Baba on his smartphone, Delhi, India
Elderly sadhu in his hut on the ghats of Pushkar Lake, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India.
Elderly sadhu in his hut on the ghats of Pushkar Lake, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India.
A boy dressed as Shiva poses for photos with tourists during the Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A boy dressed as Shiva poses for photos with tourists during the Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A group of sadhus play music and sing on the street in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A group of sadhus play music and sing on the street in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Baba in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Baba in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhu at a ceremony in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhu at a ceremony in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A sadhu enveloped in tobacco smoke at the Brahma temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A sadhu enveloped in tobacco smoke at the Brahma temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A boy dresses as Shiva in blue with a yellow tripundra to pose for photos with tourists, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A boy dresses as Shiva in blue with a yellow tripundra to pose for photos with tourists, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A group of sadhus play music and sing on the street in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A group of sadhus play music and sing on the street in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhu in Haridwar, India
Sadhu in Haridwar, India
A group of sadhus play music and sing on the street in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A group of sadhus play music and sing on the street in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A boy dresses as Shiva in blue with a yellow tripundra to pose for photos with tourists, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A boy dresses as Shiva in blue with a yellow tripundra to pose for photos with tourists, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Street dog puppies being cared for by a baba at a crematorium in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Street dog puppies being cared for by a baba at a crematorium in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Hindu leaders march in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Hindu leaders march in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
, Delhi, India
, Delhi, India
Baba with dreadlocks at the Brahma temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Baba with dreadlocks at the Brahma temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Street dog puppies being cared for by a baba at a crematorium in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Street dog puppies being cared for by a baba at a crematorium in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A middle class Indian boy poses with a dalit boy dressed as Shiva to pose for photos with tourists during the Pushkar Camel F...
A middle class Indian boy poses with a dalit boy dressed as Shiva to pose for photos with tourists during the Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Poster depicting Baba Lokenath in Delhi, India
Poster depicting Baba Lokenath in Delhi, India
Baba in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Baba in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A young Hindu priest in training, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A young Hindu priest in training, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Elderly sadhu in his hut on the ghats of Pushkar Lake, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India. Natural light and background.
Elderly sadhu in his hut on the ghats of Pushkar Lake, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India. Natural light and background.
Sadhu with dreadlocks, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhu with dreadlocks, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhu with dreadlocks, Choti Basti, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhu with dreadlocks, Choti Basti, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Unidentified idol in a temple in Haridwar, India
Unidentified idol in a temple in Haridwar, India
Elderly sadhu in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Elderly sadhu in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Street dog puppies being cared for by a baba at a crematorium in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Street dog puppies being cared for by a baba at a crematorium in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Unidentified idol in a temple in Haridwar, India
Unidentified idol in a temple in Haridwar, India
The resident baba at the August Muni cave temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India. He told me this is the only photo ever taken of ...
The resident baba at the August Muni cave temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India. He told me this is the only photo ever taken of him.
School students travel on top of a small bus, Gandhi Nagar, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
School students travel on top of a small bus, Gandhi Nagar, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
School students travel on top of a small bus, Gandhi Nagar, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
School students travel on top of a small bus, Gandhi Nagar, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
Characterful elderly man wearing an impressive amber necklace, Chainpura village, Rajasthan, India
Characterful elderly man wearing an impressive amber necklace, Chainpura village, Rajasthan, India
Hindu idol of Baba Lokenath in a temple, Dhakuria, Kolkata, India
Hindu idol of Baba Lokenath in a temple, Dhakuria, Kolkata, India
Portrait of a Sadhu or holy man, Meer Ghat, Varanasi, India
Portrait of a Sadhu or holy man, Meer Ghat, Varanasi, India
Blind Baba in a temple near Nand village, Rajasthan, India
Blind Baba in a temple near Nand village, Rajasthan, India
Sandhus on pilgrimage ride a bus in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sandhus on pilgrimage ride a bus in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A Sadhu sits next to police officers at night, Babughat, Kolkata, India
A Sadhu sits next to police officers at night, Babughat, Kolkata, India
Girls dance in a performance to mark India Independence Day 2013, Kashi Dutta, Kolkata, India
Girls dance in a performance to mark India Independence Day 2013, Kashi Dutta, Kolkata, India
Portrait of a Sadhu or holy man, Tulsi Ghat, Varanasi, India
Portrait of a Sadhu or holy man, Tulsi Ghat, Varanasi, India
Heavy winter morning fog at the Aloo Baba temple, Ajaypal, Rajasthan, India. Aloo (potato) Baba (holy man) is an old man livi...
Heavy winter morning fog at the Aloo Baba temple, Ajaypal, Rajasthan, India. Aloo (potato) Baba (holy man) is an old man living at the temple who survives on nothing but potatos, and lots of hashish
Young sadhu feeding cows and street dogs in a market in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Young sadhu feeding cows and street dogs in a market in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A girl dances in a performance to mark India Independence Day 2013, Kashi Dutta, Kolkata, India
A girl dances in a performance to mark India Independence Day 2013, Kashi Dutta, Kolkata, India
Sadhu at a temple in Bhagwanpura village, Rajasthan, India
Sadhu at a temple in Bhagwanpura village, Rajasthan, India
Resident Nepalese swami, Bedhnath temple area, Rajasthan, India
Resident Nepalese swami, Bedhnath temple area, Rajasthan, India
Flowers, bells, and pots in a remote temple, near Nand village, Rajasthan, India. The baba in the back is blind.
Flowers, bells, and pots in a remote temple, near Nand village, Rajasthan, India. The baba in the back is blind.
Sadhu in front of a ferris wheel at the Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhu in front of a ferris wheel at the Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Sadhus and tourists chat, Kedar Ghat, Varanasi, India
Sadhus and tourists chat, Kedar Ghat, Varanasi, India
Skinny old baba reads from religious texts along the Ganges River, Meer Ghat, Varanasi, India
Skinny old baba reads from religious texts along the Ganges River, Meer Ghat, Varanasi, India
Image of Baba Lokenath on a stereo amplifier, Kalighat, Kolkata, India
Image of Baba Lokenath on a stereo amplifier, Kalighat, Kolkata, India
Portrait of a Sadhu or holy man, Meer Ghat, Varanasi, India
Portrait of a Sadhu or holy man, Meer Ghat, Varanasi, India
Image of Baba Lokenath on a stereo amplifier, Kalighat, Kolkata, India
Image of Baba Lokenath on a stereo amplifier, Kalighat, Kolkata, India
A sadhu meditates on a ghat along the Ganges River, Katesar, Varanasi, India
A sadhu meditates on a ghat along the Ganges River, Katesar, Varanasi, India
A sadhu meditates on a ghat along the Ganges River, Katesar, Varanasi, India
A sadhu meditates on a ghat along the Ganges River, Katesar, Varanasi, India
Sadhus assemble in a large tent to receive dinner en masse, at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
Sadhus assemble in a large tent to receive dinner en masse, at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
A woman with some type of disorder who is apparently revered, at a tent for Sadhus at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
A woman with some type of disorder who is apparently revered, at a tent for Sadhus at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
Orange-robed sadhus walk to a dinner tent at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
Orange-robed sadhus walk to a dinner tent at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
Paintings of idols for sale at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
Paintings of idols for sale at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
A woman with some type of disorder who is apparently revered, at a tent for Sadhus at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
A woman with some type of disorder who is apparently revered, at a tent for Sadhus at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, India.
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India...
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges River meets the sea.
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay ...
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges meets the sea.
Sai Baba statue and cow, Kolkata, India.
Sai Baba statue and cow, Kolkata, India.
Portrait of an elderly man with a  big white beard near Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi, India.
Portrait of an elderly man with a big white beard near Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi, India.
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India...
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges River meets the sea.
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India...
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges River meets the sea.
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India...
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges River meets the sea.
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India...
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges River meets the sea.
A splendidly dressed elderly man in Varanasi, India.
A splendidly dressed elderly man in Varanasi, India.
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay ...
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges meets the sea.
Hindu pilgrims stop at Babughat in Kolkata to rest and eat en route to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island, India.
Hindu pilgrims stop at Babughat in Kolkata to rest and eat en route to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island, India.
Sweet old baba at Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi, India.
Sweet old baba at Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi, India.
A sadhu (holy man) with long dreadlocks at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Saga...
A sadhu (holy man) with long dreadlocks at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
Sadhu (holy man) near Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi, India.
Sadhu (holy man) near Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi, India.
A sadhu (holy man) in Kolkata, India gestures as he prepares to make a pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal for th...
A sadhu (holy man) in Kolkata, India gestures as he prepares to make a pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal for the Gangasagar Mela.
A man in white meditates on the banks of the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.
A man in white meditates on the banks of the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar ...
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India...
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges River meets the sea.
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India...
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges River meets the sea.
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay ...
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges meets the sea.
A boy in Kolkata, India dressed as Shiva receives baksheesk (donations) at a staging area for pilgrims going to the Gangasaga...
A boy in Kolkata, India dressed as Shiva receives baksheesk (donations) at a staging area for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar ...
A Naga Sadhu (holy man) smokes a pipe and meditates at a staging area in Kolkata, India for pilgrims going to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island south of Kolkata.
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India...
An elerly sadhu (holy man) does yoga at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges River meets the sea.
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay ...
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges meets the sea.
Pilgrims wait at Babughat in Kolkata, India en route to the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of...
Pilgrims wait at Babughat in Kolkata, India en route to the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal.
Pilgrims ride a train from Kolkata to Sagar Island, India for the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage that attracts a million...
Pilgrims ride a train from Kolkata to Sagar Island, India for the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage that attracts a million people.
Hindu pilgrims stop at Babughat in Kolkata to rest and eat en route to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island, India.
Hindu pilgrims stop at Babughat in Kolkata to rest and eat en route to the Gangasagar Mela on Sagar Island, India.
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay ...
A sadhu (holy man) adjusts his waist-length dreadlocks at the Gangasagar Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage to Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal in India, where the Ganges meets the sea.
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