Kumbh festival the major crowd puller to this religious event are Sadhus and Naga baba. These naga baba attracts the attention of all due to their rare appearance and their extra ordinary rituals.
Travelers from round the globe drop in to be a part of Kumbh Mela or Kumbh festival inorder to have a glance of these Naga sadhus meditate and perform the weird religious and spiritual activities. Naga Sadhus belongs to different Akharas (which means camps) and each akharash have their own set of Naga Babas who are living this world in most unconventional way and follow their own set of religion and spiritual activities without caring about this world.
The identification feature of Naga Sadhus include being naked with long hairs knotted with different metals and body smeared with ashes. Not only this, one can see Naga Sadhus could be seen wearing beads of Rudraksha, believe to posses positive healing power according to Hindu mythology. Not just a few but you can witness Naga sadhus wearing thousand of Rudraksha beads and is believed that wearing Eleven thousand Rudrakhsa beads will help them attain the form of Lord Shankara or Lord Shiva.
While you visit the akharas of Naga Baba, one can have a glance of these sadhus smoking “CHILUM”. The consumption of bhang is also considered to be a part of the rituals performed by Naga Sadhus. The sadhus hold the view that doing so will lead them to eternity or nirvana.
The upcoming Kumbh Mela in Allahabad (Prayag) will also bring number of Naga Baba and other Sadhus staying and accommodating themselves in different Akharas.