They would say " Chali jao!." But I persisted. They got used to seeing me around and would say " Tum phir se aa gayi" and I used to say I want to take your photographs and speak to you. I wanted to take photographs, they first shooed me off, then every day I spent a couple of hours there. To meet the other Naga sadhus, I had to walk 20 km in the May heat to the Juna Akhada. So I did put it on Facebook and wrote that I had Baba's permission. I said "If I have your permission, I will. He was doing a hawan and I asked if I could take a video and he said, " Kya, Facebook mein dalogi?" Then I went to the hawan kund and other pooja places, took pictures and returned to see the Baba. He allowed his video to be put on Facebook. IMAGE: Agorhi Baba Bam Bam Nath ji in Ujjain. It was the first time that a lady was walking into their kitchen! In the kitchen, the staff first refused to let me in and when they were told that Baba Bam Bam had so instructed, they too seemed scandalised. The assistant told me while I was walking to the kitchen that Baba never talks like this to anybody and women are not even allowed into the kitchen. Whatever they receive, they use it to feed the poor. The real Nagas and Agohris, don't ask for money.
He then told his assistant to take me around. He told me a little about his life and allowed me to take his picture. He told me "Ask, what you want to ask about yourself." I told him, "Baba, I don't want to ask you anything about myself, I just want to know about you." I said I wanted to meet Baba and had come from Bangalore - and surprisingly I was allowed in.īaba kept asking me if I was from the media and I kept telling him I wasn't. This time I went to the akhada of Agorhi Baba, which was by the shamshan ghat. My interest in the Naga sadhus is what took me to the next Kumbh in Ujjain. Gradually, they allowed me to photograph them. I tried speaking to them, but they were not inclined. I had heard that Nagas are hostile, especially to women. I was fascinated by the Nagas and spent my time trying to observe them. 'It was the first time that a lady was walking into the sadhus's kitchen!' IMAGE: 10,000 news Nagas were initiated at the Maha Kumbh in Allahabad in a special ceremony. Radhika - who now runs a popular cafe in Connoor - spoke to 's Archana Masih about her encounters with Naga sadhus, a morning with the brilliant chief of the transgenders and the sadhu standing on one leg for 6 years with another 6 to go! Radhika Shastry attended the last two Kumbh Melas and published a book of photographs, Kumbh - The Greatest Show On Earth.
"I think because I was alone and going every day, they slowly started speaking to me." "They got used to seeing me around and would say ' Tum phir se aa gayi?'" I wanted to take photographs, they first shooed me off, then every day I spent a couple of hours there." "To meet the other Naga sadhus I had to walk 20 km in the 45 degrees May heat. "So I did put it on Facebook and wrote that I had baba's permission." "I said, 'If I have your permission, I will.
"' Kya Facebook mein dalogi?' asked the Naga sadhu." All Photographs: Kind courtesy Radhika Shastry IMAGE: A sadhu swings his dreadlocks after the shahi snan.
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