The Aghories are a mysterious and extreme sect of Hindu ascetics devoted to lord Shiva, particularly in his fierce form – Bhairava. They believe that everything in the universe is divine even the things that society deems impure or taboo. They live as wandering monks with no material possessions, begging for food, in cremation grounds where they meditate and perform rituals to confront death and detach from the material world. Their ultimate goal is to attain moksha, the spiritual liberation by realising the unity of all existence and transcending fear, duality, and illusion.
They accept death as a transition and overcome fear by meditating among burning pyres and reaching altered consciousness.They are often seen wearing minimal or no clothing and bodies smeared with cremation ashes and carrying human skulls (Kamala’s). Their practices like using human skulls and in rare cases consuming corpse flesh. These are their symbolic methods to break societal norms and ego rejecting the ideas of purity/impurity.
They are rooted in Shaivism and believe in non duality, i.e. no difference between Atma (individual soul) and Brahman (universal soul). For them death is not feared but embraced as a step towards liberation. Tantra is a key spiritual tool involving mantras, rituals, and challenging the self. With their goal to attain moksha, they strive to see no difference between opposites (life/death, good/evil) and to transcend maya (illusion) by confronting fear, breaking taboos, and destroying the ego. This leads to oneness with Shiva.
They conduct spiritual practices in cremation grounds to face life and death. They also use skulls used as ritual Noel’s or wear it. The Aghori represent one of the most extreme yet deeply spiritual paths in Hinduism. Some books on Aghories life to refer are Aghora: At the Left Hand of God, Aghora II: Kundalini, Aghora III: The Law of Karma, The Tantric Way, Aghori: An Untold Story. Their journey of overcoming illusions and attain spiritual freedom is aimed towards connection with the universe and selflessness.
SWATI NIKAM