Cannibal Monks (Aghori)

Human skull I found on the banks of the Ganges river. Currently housed on their temple in Varanasi, India.

Part three of a three part series on the Cremation grounds of Varanasi written together with Jordan De Lupis. For part one about Varanasi itself, click this link. For part two about the cremation grounds of Varanasi, click here.

On the cremation grounds of Varanasi you'll find strange creatures. Men with long beards, covered in human ashes who drink from human skulls, do naked yoga at the cremation grounds, and do strange rituals with human bodies that include cannibalism. The locals tell tales of the holy men that dress up like shiva, yet seem to surpass him in their consumption of weed and alcohol. Day and night they meditate into the fire that consumes an entire human body to ashes in 20 minutes.

Who are these cannibal monks?

From november-december 2022 and may 2023 I've had the rather unique chance to live amongst these fascinating people for an extended period of time, winning their trust by drinking whiskey from a human skull as well as accepting them as humans. I slept next to the fire for days at end, living like one of them.

To answer a much-asked question - "No, I'm not tasty enough to get eaten"