asceticism, becoming a saddhu, one of these guys, is actually a way to game the system. they're the indian version of neets. incels, jobless people, people who don't to do the grind, criminals evading the law, mentally ill people, and the occasional spiritual seeker, join the rank of ascetics because it's a more or less comfy life and it's easy to disappear in the milieu. sadhus have benefits: they can travel around india without paying. people see them as holy, bring them food and money. they are regarded as healers, so agnesh brings his cancer suffering grandma to one of the aghoris, who mutters some words over her and calls her healed. some groups even allow drugs and pussy: the tantric one, like the aghori. the aghoris have a serious alcohol problem. the most consumed drug is cannabis, often mixed with datura (jimsonweed, loco weed), which may explain why tantric gods look so demonic. occasionally these groups throw up a cosplay larp in the name of their gods, like this:   every 12 years all the groups gather at the confluence point of ganges and yamuna and call dibs who goes first in the river. it can get bloody because who gets in the river first is very important.
Fascist