# Sadhu

By [veerdurgadasji.eth](https://paragraph.com/@veerdurgadasji) · 2023-03-14

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Part II
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There are believed to be around five million sadhus belonging to several thousand schools or sects in India. Most sadhus are males. The few females ones are called “sadvin” (the feminine of sadhu). The most conservative sadhus, the “nagas”, wear only a loin cloth and have long stringy locks of hair that resemble dreadlocks. Some have nicknames like "Long Haired Man" in honor of locks that if uncoiled would reach the ground.

Sadhus are revered by Hindus as representatives of the gods. Being a sadhu is one of the stages of life a person is expected to pass through. Even so in the caste system sadhus often occupy a position roughly equal to that of domestic servants.

![Two Sadhu's](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/957af2128cff37dbdf02b090733203b449a1f3a4653d15cdf23d86c226eaf227.jpg)

Two Sadhu's

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*Originally published on [veerdurgadasji.eth](https://paragraph.com/@veerdurgadasji/sadhu-2)*