The Mysterious Wandering Holy Men of Nepal

By Shannon Lane @Shannonroselane

WANDERING through the cities and forests of Nepal are the holy men who have left all materialistic pleasures behind to live a life devoted to God

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The Sadhus clothes vary from decorative, to simple and practical

The appearances of the Sadhus vary from brightly coloured face paints and decorations, to minimalistic practical clothing, but they all represent the fundamental values and meanings of Hinduism.

The men sometimes have a 'base' but no real home

Danish photographer Jan Møller Hansen visited the ancient capital city of Kathmandu between 2013 and 2016 and documented the mysterious holy wanderers.

The photographer said: "They wander between different holy places"

He said: “The Sadhus are travelling through cities, villages and forests, sleeping in temples, under trees by riverbanks or wherever they can find a suitable place to rest.

They have given up a life of materialistic items for one devoted to God

They wander between different holy places, which typically are sites with Hindu temples or confluences of rivers that are regarded as powerful sites.

The Sadhu's face paints and headdresses are very decorative

Jan said: "The hashish works as a short cut into the abstract and cosmic world"

"During the famous celebrations of the Shiva Rati festival at the Pashupathinath temple in Kathmandu, the Nepalese government, for example, will pay the Sadhus a daily allowance and provide them with food, drinks and ensure that their visit and stay wil be enjoyable.

The photographer said: "The Sadhus are vulnerable and depend a lot on others’ kindness."

"They have a lot of cultural meaning to many people.”

Jan said: "The longer dreadlocks, the holier or respected you might be."

Despite the respect they receive from locals, being a Sadhu is a challenging life choice and requires a large amount of dedication.

The photographer said: "The Sadhus will smoke a lot of hashish. The air will be thick of smoking chillums"

The photographer said: "The Sadhus have left the material and ordinary life behind in favour of an alternative community devoted to God. I find that fascinating. But don’t be mistaken - it is a tough life.

"You live from day to day, are vulnerable and depend a lot on others’ kindness. As a Sadhu, you might not always be treated well either. I guess it requires a lot of strength and courage to become and live like a Sadhu."