Breaking Barriers! Female Naga Sadhus take center stage at Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. 5 lesser-known facts about them

With just a couple of days left for the Maha Kumbh Mela to begin in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, the city is all set to welcome female Naga Sadhus or Naga Sadhvis, who frequently receive much attention.

Naga Sadhvis are expected to attend one of the largest religious gatherings in the world – between January 13 to February 25 – and spend some days at the sacred confluence of the Saraswati, Yamuna, and Ganga rivers to get blessings and take a holy bath.

Like the male Naga Sadhus, these Naga Sadhvis' lives are devoted to meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices. They are very well-known for their rigorous observance of vows of poverty and celibacy.

Here are amazing facts about them:

Accepting total renunciation:

Also known as Mahila Naga Sadhus, the female Naga Sadhushave given up material belongings and relationships. They live in caves or ashrams, and partake in exercises like yoga, meditation, and chanting, Moneycontrol reported.

Contrary to Naga Sadhus, the female Naga Sadhus wear clothing. Their distinctive tilak and dreadlocks complement their "Ganti" (unstitched saffron cloth) attire, reported the Hindustan Times.

Rigorous initiation procedure:

The Naga Sadhvis, undergo a rigorous initiation procedure, that include years of devoted spiritual practice, such as celibacy, meditation, and giving up material belongings. While practicing austerities and intense spiritual practices, they frequently lead solitary lives.

During their initiation, they severed all ties to the outside world, as they perform their own "Pind Daan" to begin a new spiritual path.

Ascetics' equality:

These female Naga Sadhus promote equality and question conventional gender norms. They serve as emblems of female strength and spiritual freedom, but they also frequently experience particular difficulties and prejudice because of their gender, Outlook reported.

Akharas, their spiritual home:

Female Naga Sadhus reside, study, and practise their religion in akharas or monastic order, reported Moneycontrol.

Kumbh Mela turnout:

Female Naga Sadhus are an uncommon but important sight at the Kumbh Mela. They participate in the revered "Shahi Snan" (royal bath), and carry out ceremonies. Their presence in the Kumbh Mela serves as a reminder of how spirituality is changing. Also, it denotes they are becoming more accepted in formerly male-dominated religious communities.

They are sometimes referred to as "Mata," indicating their esteemed position in the community and treated with the same respect as their male counterparts.