Indian Aghori Monks

Cannibal Indian Aghori Monks: Shocking Rituals

Yes, you read the title right: Indian cannibals!

On my holiday to India, I visited Varanasi, one of the most spiritual places in the world.

Every inch of this city jolts you, from the burning bodies to the starving people and the half-dead animals crying for help.

But when I heard about the cannablistic rituals of the Indian Aghori monks, I was in shock.

So are Aghoris cannibals?

Well, as the title suggests, the Aghori practices and rituals can be quite shocking. However, this post is meant to educate about you the Aghori in India rather than disgust you.

When I first heard about the cannibal Aghori monks it was a very hot Indian day (as always), and I was walking around the markets in Varanasi.

I decided to duck into a jewellery shop, not because I was really interested in it, but because of the golden masterpiece on the wall – the air-conditioner.

Inside, an Indian man asked me where I was from. I didn’t reply for a few seconds because this was a common line for most Indian men trying to start a conversation that I just couldn’t be bothered starting.

But for some reason, I answered. He explained that he was from Kerala (South India) and was travelling with his Dutch friend who has been to India over 6 times.

He said that nothing seems to faze her anymore. But he was absolutely petrified as Kerala is a different world away from Varanasi.

It couldn’t have come at a better time to meet them. I was at the point of getting verbally aggressive towards shopkeepers for asking me so many damn questions all the time.

She taught me one of the best tips for solo female travellers in India: to be calm and take everything as a joke, laugh, and be cheeky. Don’t take anything seriously in this country.

Her advice was true and is pretty much how I stayed sane the entire trip!

Fast forward – I walked around the city with them and met a pot-smoking Sadhu (holy person) who hadn’t eaten in 5 days and told me my future (that’s another story!).

After that, we then decided that we should hop on a boat and watch the sunset before the famous ceremony of light on the edge of the Ganges.

While the guy was rowing, someone asked where does the bridge lead over in the distance. He looked like he had just seen a ghost and told us never to go over there.

Of course, we asked why and he told us the story of the Aghori Monks.

The Aghoris in India are infamous with the locals because they apparently cast black magic if the locals go near them.

Most human beings run away from death because we are afraid of dying or seeing people dead. But not these monks – in fact, they live off the dead.

They welcome death into their lives like I welcome chocolate into mine. A person has to die before a new person can come into this world.

But as we asked this guy more about what they do, the more my jaw dropped. I certainly didn’t expect to be learning about cannibalism in India during a peaceful boat ride!

Perhaps the most important of the Aghori rituals is Shav Putra, an incredibly private ceremony. In order to complete it, they must find human corpses.

These are hard to find in Varanasi as nearly everyone is cremated. Some families in Varanasi, cannot afford to be cremated so instead they will put the bodies in the Ganges.

So, the Aghori monks literally ‘fish’ them out.

When they find a body they meditate on it, chop the head off (because it holds the most energy), and then in some Aghori practices they eat the flesh.

This is why the Aghori tribe is known as the Indian cannibal tribe.

These so-called cannibal monks believe that they can’t please God if they don’t do this human sacrifice. They keep the skull of the corpse as a reminder of the impermanence of life.

Aghori monks believe that all their acts and rituals, including cannibalism, are done in pursuit of spiritual liberation.

The Aghori people have their own lifestyle and beliefs that are seen as evil and taboo amongst Hindus.

This is why most of the locals stay right away from them. They are believed to have no fear and to digest all evil!

Other daily Aghori rituals include drinking urine and eating stools in their food. They are also known to consume a lot of alcohol and marijuana.

One of the most important and chilling daily rituals that the Aghori cannibals do is smothering their face in human ash. They call it ‘holy ash.’

The Aghoris are shunned by the local society because of their ‘black magic’ and cannibalism so you may be hard-pressed to find them anywhere in India (that’s if you do want to find them).

If you want to know more about the Aghori monks and the Aghori lifestyle then watch this YouTube video from a bunch of photographers that went to photograph them; it’s pretty amazing.

I couldn’t believe that these Aghori cannibalism rituals still existed in the modern-day, but I should have known better; India is full of surprises!

I will never forget that chilling moment on the boat when our guide told us about the Aghori tribe. I had no idea there were cannibals in India!

It’s stories like these that make me think travelling is the best form of education.

Who is the God of Aghori?

The Aghori monks in India worship the god Shiva, who is the Hindu god of destruction. Because everything the gods created is said to be beautiful, they see death as something to be celebrated. They also believe that every person’s soul is actually Shiva, so by consuming their energy, they are becoming closer to god.

Who is the first Aghori monk?

The first of the Aghori people is said to be a man named Kina Ram who lived more than 150 years ago in Varanasi, India.

Are Aghori cannibals?

Technically speaking, yes. While they certainly aren’t seeking out living people, they do consume body parts of corpses. As they eat other humans, this is why they are – accurately – known as the cannibal tribe in India.

Have you heard of the Aghori tribe? Did you know there were cannibal tribes in India? Would you be scared to meet the Aghori monks of Varanasi?