Lionel In Paris wrote:

Is it not true  Salman that India and Pakistan have an estimated 4 to5 million Sadhus (holy men). A large proportion of these (the naga babas) wander around stark naked and the rest with just a string around their waist tied to their penis,. These Sadhus have been around for thousands of years, its part of your culture. One could say your country practically invented nudism. Lionel

Naga babas at their three yearly convention.(In formal dress for the occasion)

Maybe it's only the Indians who are lucky enough to have religious freedoms?...and the freedom to walk around stark naked.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_pakis.htm

http://www.adolphus.nl/sadhus/

Note: Let's not forget the subject of this thread is nudism, not religion. Nudism no matter what you think (for or against) is really another freedom, if you are lucky enough to live in a country that allows you to choose.

Lionel

Edit:

Removed the image link. Please refrain from posting nude pictures or photographs. [Rishonly, Mod.]

Hi Jhumjhum

I'm very sorry if I thought that if these men take their clothes off they are nude.?????? As to sexuallity, you brought that into the post, not I. As to the rest................

Kumbha (Kumbha means pot) Mela is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage that takes place at the following four locations of India

·        Prayag (near the city of Allahabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of three rivers Ganga (Ganges), Yamuna and Saraswati

·        Haridwar (in the state of Uttar Pradesh) where the river Ganga enters the plains from Himalayas

·        Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh), on the banks of Ksipra river, and

·        Nasik (in Maharashtra) on the banks of Godavari river.

The pilgrimage occurs four times every twelve years, once at each of the four locations. Each twelve-year cycle includes the Maha (great) Kumbha Mela at Prayag, attended by millions of people, making it the largest pilgrimage gathering around the world.

The observance of Kumbha Mela is based upon the following story : thousands of years ago, perhaps in the Vedic period, gods and demons made a temporary agreement to work together in obtaining amrita (the nectar of immortality) from the Milky Ocean, and to share this equally. However, when the Kumbha (pot) containing the amrita appeared, the demons ran away with the pot and were chased by the gods. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the gods and demons fought in the sky for the possession of this pot of amrita. It is said that during the battle, drops of amrita fell on to four places : Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. Thus, Kumbha mela is observed at these four locations where the nectar fell.

. [Adopted from Bansi Pandit : The Hindu Mind]

In other words once every three years!

http://www.hindunet.org/festivals/kumbha_mela/

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Sadhus in Indian society

·                    Sadhus are often sanyasi, or renunciates, who have left behind all material and sexual attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India. The word comes from the Sanskrit "to practice", referring to the practice of meditation. See sadhana.

A sadhu is usually referred to as baba by common people. The word 'baba' means father, or uncle, in most Indian languages. Sometimes the respectful suffix 'ji' may also be added after baba, to give greater respect to the renunciant.

There are 4 or 5 million sadhus in India today and they are still widely respected, revered and even feared, especially for their curses. It is also thought that the austere practices of the sadhus helps to burn off their karma and that of the community at large. Thus seen as benefitting society, many people help support sadhus with donations. However, reverence of sadhus is by no means universal in India. Historically and contemporarily, sadhus have often been seen with a certain degree of suspicion, particularly amongst the urban populations of India. Today, especially in popular pilgrimage cities, posing as a 'sadhu' can be a means of acquiring income for beggars who could hardly be considered 'devout

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadhu

Lionel