ONE DAY BEFORE MAHASHIVARATRI

It was February 11, 2010. I went to Pashupati temple with my neighborhood friend and with her friend. It was one day before MahaShivaratri.

We, three went there in the micro and within few minutes, we reached there. When we reached there, my friend’s friend started worshiping and when we were about to leave, we saw many naked jogi baba. They were putting white power on their body. Not only this, they were taking different type of cigarettes. I have never seen such in my life. I was feeling shamed by looking at them.  Their face was filled with white power and their hair was long which made me scared. When they used lit their cigarette, they had a different attitude.  Their languages were different and we couldn’t understand. When they used to speak, it was like they were scolding us. 

Image Credit: Rammohan Photography [http://rammohanphotography.com/baba-smoking-chillum]

More than me, my neighborhood friend was feeling shy by looking at them. She quickly worshiped and was rushed to go back to the home. We went home by walking and discussing about the jogi baba. More than that, we were laughing by remembering the jogi’s. After visiting the temple on this day, my neighborhood friend promised that she won’t visit Pashupati Temple before and on the day of Mahashivaratri.

For few days, the scenario of the temple and jogi, their face, their activities and their language stock on my mind. I found so horrible for the first time. I have never seen jogi’s on Pashupati before this. At the beginning, I was scared but now, I am not and will love to take their photographs.

On the next day, I shared this to my neighbors and we laughed. This was one of the best memories that will remain for long period of time.