Many Naga sadhus at the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj have decided to give up one of their most prized possessions -- chillums (clay pipes used for smoking).
On a call given by yoga guru Baba Ramdev, they have in fact taken a pledge to quit smoking.
The warrior ascetics took the decision after Ramdev gave the example of many Hindu deities who stayed away from all vices, including smoking the chillum, when they took the human form on earth
Otherwise recluses, the Naga sadhus possess only holy beads (rudraksha), garlands and chillums.
They smoke to keep themselves warm in the biting cold in the mela area. Sitting around the holy fire called ‘dhuni’, the Naga Sadhus sometimes stay awake all night smoking chillums.
Ramdev, who’s also conducting yoga classes at the Kumbh Mela, met these sadhus and asked aspiring Naga sadhus for their chillums as ‘Guru Dakshina’.
They were attending the ordination ceremony of Shree Panchayati Akhada Niranjani in the presence of Swami Narendragiri, secretary of Niranjani Akhada and president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP).
Ramdev said he was happy to get a positive response from many Naga sadhus and holy men for a ‘Nashamukt Bharat’ (addiction-free India). “Several sadhus also took a pledge to quit the chillum when I asked them if they had ever seen or read in any scripture or holy book that Hindu deities indulged in any of these unhealthy habits,” he said.
“They were very amused but also tried to understand what I was telling them. They also understood the fact that smoking chillum was harming their health immensely,” he added.
Shreemahant Rajendradas Ji Maharaj of Nirmohi Akhada was among the first few sadhus who decided to hand over their chillums to Ramdev.
“The yoga guru said the sadhus sacrificed their materialistic life to attain salvation. Yet, they were hooked on to the habit of smoking chillum, which is not good. It’s also a kind of weakness. We also realised the fact and took the pledge to stop smoking,” Rajendradas Ji Maharaj said.