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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Babas in Varanassi

The act or practice of feeding on dead bodies (necrophagia) is beyond comprehension in the western world. But in other cultures ritual cannibalism is a fact of life. This astonishing documentary, filmed in India, is a very rare recording of this practice as well as its philosophical background. Varanasi is the holy city of Hinduism. More than 1 million believers arrive in this city every year, after a long journey, to die on the banks of the holy Ganges River. Here, the Aghori Sadhus members of a sacred and ancient sect seek their way to heaven: human remains from the cremation grounds. They believe that by eating human flesh of the dead bodies floating in the Ganges they humble themselves, therefore come closer to God. Aghoris seems to follow a path, which is radically opposite that of ideal Hinduism. They drink liquor, eat flesh and utter obscenities, meditate at night and have uninhibited sex. Aghoris are one of the most controversial of Hindu holy men (sadhus). People believe that Aghoris possess magical powers; stories of Aghoris curing people suffering from serious diseases are common in the Indian villages.

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