Street Scenes: Sadhus Varanasi India

Strolling along the ghats on the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi I came across these Sadhus chewing the fat. It was mid-morning and they had chosen a quiet shady spot to relax.

Sadhus are Hindu holy men who give up the material life to seek enlightenment. You’ll see them all over Varanasi, one of the holiest cities in India. It is visited by millions of religious pilgrims from all walks of life. At sunrise they take part in ritual bathing in the sacred Ganges.

Varanasi is also a place where the devoted come to die and be cremated along the banks of the river where their ashes will be released and returned to the earth.