In order to become a Sadhu, one must go through rigorous years of
practice under the guidance of a Guru. Before searching for a Guru,
he/she must first renounce all ties with family and friends, possess no
material possessions or emotional attachments of any kind to the world
as they knew it, deem themselves dead and attend their own funeral. Then,
after becoming a disciple they spend their days performing what
is known as their service — their Guru will decide if they are eligible
to become a Sadhu. Only then are they given the official title. The
Aghori is a particular clan of Sadhu that typically resides in
cemeteries. They cover their naked bodies in the remains of human ashes;
incorporate a corpse as an altar in ritual worship and wear jewelry
made out of human skulls and sometimes thighbones, as Shiva and other
Hindu gods were depicted in images. Their meals consist of rotten
foods, animal feces/urine and human remains found in cemeteries, which
are most often eaten and drank in a cup made out of a human skull. Their
reasoning behind this is that it kills the ego.
