I’ve heard that in your trip in India you can be lucky and meet a Sadhu. I feel really drawn to all this philosophy and I’m dying to meet a Sadhu. I can’t imagine meeting someone who is able to leave behind all the material things of life in their search for enlightenment and the true meaning of life. I also wonder if they talk to you, share a little of their wisdom or if they ignore you. I don’t know, I just feel curious and excited at the same time.
If you visit the temples during your tourism, you will most definitely meet one of these extremely interesting people. One of the good things about India is that it boasts a pretty decent English literacy rate due to it being an ex-British colony. Many individuals including the Sadhus speak English which is very helpful for holding conversation for obvious reasons.
Hey, I haven't seen you in a while here in the forum. Thank you for your answer, I was really waiting for someone to answer because this interests me. I'm planning on visiting some temples, so guess I'll find them there. I can't remember who told me that you could meet them in trains and anywhere, that they're so interesting and special, and so that's why I'm so interested. Thanks for the heads up!
There are approximately five million sadhus in India as on date. But to be frank it would be really difficult to meet a real sadhu in India. For most of them it is a profession to be a sadhu. The real sadhus have very vast knowledge of everything and it is a pleasure talking to them. They are fully devoted to God who are also known as "baba" among common people. True babas are really respected for their holiness, knowledge level and problem solving skills. You can see a lot of sadhus with their hair in thick dreadlocks called "jata". A particular type of sadhus known as Aghori Sadhus claim to keep company with ghosts and they live in cemeteries.
I've heard stories about the Baba or Babaji from India but I never got the chance to see or talk to one just yet. I'm sure it will be an inspiring and enlightened moment. Guess I'm going to have to do some research as to where to find them too.
Point well made. It's very difficult to locate the real sadhus from the fake ones. Most of them dive into the profession for the money that religious manipulation can bring. Holy Indian cities like Varanasi and the others lying along the Ganges, are overflowing with these so called enlightened lot. So be careful when you approach one, should you meet them on your trip. However, if you're lucky to meet a genuine sadhu, that would be something. The real ones will not be found in the spotlight, claiming knowledge and seeking attention. As @travelguide mentioned, you might want to look up the Aghori sect of India. They are a bunch of very interesting people, claiming to live with and speak to the dead. But seeing as most of them haunt burning ghats (crematoriums) and cemeteries, it won't be very easy to come by them.
I would advise to be careful of your personal safety. There are criminals who would take advantage of your trust. Trust yourself. All the peace and power you need is within you. Make your own magic and miracles. You do not need to meet a sadhu, rather become one yourself. But if you must, then please ensure your safety.
I met one when I went to India. It was a very humbling experience for me and my family. They are well respected over there. I forget which city I was in.
There are many places in India where you can meet a Sadhu namely, Varanasi, Chhattisgarh and many more
It's not difficult to find a sadhu in India but it's difficult to find a truly realized one. You can find many sadhus in religious cities like Varanasi, Rishikesh etc. But the problem is that there are many rogues who are out there to cheat innocent people in the disguise of a sadhu. I would suggest you to be careful. If you want to meet a real sadhu, then you can consider visiting some reputed ashram and meet the resident sadhus there.
I've never met one personally, but as some have said in this thread your best bet is probably in or around the temples. Best of luck
I can completely understand your fascination and your curiosity towards sadhus. If you go to Varanasi, you're bound to meet loads of them everywhere. They're certainly one of the most interesting people I have had the pleasure to interact with. Not many of them speak English, however, only a few whom I met do. I actually found them to be very friendly.
