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Naga Sadhus are a group of Shaivite saints devoted to the worship of the god Shiva as the supreme being. They livy in Himalayan Caves and come out to civilization only during the Kumbh Mela. This is the only event in which these ascetic saints are seen in public among the Indian public. The Naga Sadhus adopt destincive characteristics based on the Hindu god Shiva. They traditionall hold tridents crowned with human skulls. They smear their bodies in thick ash and they wear heavy coils of matted hair on the head. These are considered to be saints. They remain completely naked even in the cold. India is located just north of the Equator and enjoys a tropical climate. It can, however, get bitter cold in the Himalayas. They smoke Marijuana through a pipe known as a Chillum or Shiv Muli. It was seen as a way to avoid the worldly distraction nd to practice self-control in an intoxicated state. As the young Naga Sadhus advance in their spiritual life they eventually renounce intoxication too. The Naga Sadhus have to renounce the materialistic world and practice celibacy. This enables them to escape from the Hindu cycles of birth and death and to achieve salvation. As they belong to the Shaivite sect, they have matted locks of hair and their bodies are covered in ash like Lord Shiva.
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