Half-naked Sadhus, also called Aghoris, mix a chunk of ganja or cannabis with a bit of tobacco, fills the contents into the chillum (a clay pipe), chants “Bol Bom” or “Jaya Bholay” and starts puffing away leaving a cloud of smoke in the air.
These sadhus who have denounced worldly life, basically, congregate in Nepal’s Pashupati Temple during Maha Shivaratri, literally translates to “Great Night of Lord Shiva” – a Hindu festival especially celebrated in Nepal and India.
This night is celebrated every year to venerate Lord Shiva. And these sadhus with matted hair and long beards, who claim of being the real devotees of Lord Shiva, puff ganja in the name of their Lord.
The Aghoris, mostly coming from India, believe puffing cannabis is a fundamental aspect of their religious practice. Therefore, Shivaratri, which is celebrated on the new moon day in the month of Magh according to the Hindu festival, is the right time for these Aghoris to enjoy ganja.
According to myths, Shivaratri is the day when Lord Shiva was born. However, another popular belief is that Shivaratri is the day when Lord Shiva married Parvati. Likewise, some believe that Lord Shiva performed the “Tandav”, a dance of primal creation, preservation and culture, on this auspicious night.
There is also a belief that anyone who offers milk, Dhaturo (a kind of intoxicating plant) and “Belpatra” (Woodapple leaves) to Lord Shiva and observes fasting the whole night will get blessings from Lord Shiva.
It is also believed that on this day, stars in the northern hemisphere will help raise a person’s spiritual energy.
In fact, this night is also celebrated to mark the convergence of Shiva and Shakti.
In Nepal, hundreds of thousands of devotees visit the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu – which is one of the holiest temples of the Hindus.
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