Naked in Ashes

I've heard a lot about the sadhus of India, and always wanted to get to the Kumbha Mela, a religious festival which happens every 12 or so years, but this was my first opportunity to see any of that at all. This is a very good movie, but it needs to be approached differently from your average flick. For one thing it's a documentary. The other thing is, this is a documentary about something which is notoriously difficult to film; the spiritual life. So we have Leilapostgrad commenting here that it's a stupid waste of time, which for her, it was. There's lots going on in this film that you're just not going to get any sense of from watching the screen. These sadhus are powerful people, and they are the cultural backbone of Indian society; as they mention briefly in the movie, once these guys are gone, Indian culture will be dead. It's quite true. They maintain the shrines, take in abandoned children, perform healings, and generally attend to the spiritual needs of the masses. This is vital to Indian society, and indeed in most places in the world it is a similar story. The renunciates and spiritual folks serve the needs of the people. Like Tibet (before the Chinese.) Like Thailand. Like Africa.

But since this a film about intangibles, that aspect is difficult to see. So if you don't have any background in the culture, this is going to be a very flat experience for you.

What impressed me the most: The general happiness of these men. Just watching them put me at ease and lifted my spirits. The fact that they live on almost no food at all, that sure impressed me cause they're mostly all in good shape, climb mountains, etc. The walking on snow was the least of it.

I was also impressed by the sheer numbers of humanity. A billion Indians in the country. 13 million sadhus. A couple of million at the Kumbha Mela. Yikes! So see this film, if you're prepared. Otherwise you'll be feeling ripped off and outraged like Little Miss Postgrad.

This is a great documentary about the lifestyle of the Yogi, or Hindu Holy Men. The movie follows a few of these men around for what seems to be around a year, through which one gains a better understanding of why they live the way they do. You not only learn about Hindu religion, but also about a connection to God, nature, and the great "Ganga" river which is at the core of everything.

Throughout the movie you see amazing footage of what these people have learned to endure through powerful meditation as well as the Yogi's most sacred rituals. One slowly begins to understand why walking naked, being covered in ashes, and managing to separate mind from body is so important to these people. You also see the impact they have on those who believe in them as well as the way they interact with each other.

I would recommend watching "Naked in Ashes," not only to gain a better understanding of Hinduism but also to see how these men's true love has enabled them to do unthinkable things.

I loved it and it made me realize that it's time for some of us to think a bit more, work on our discipline and make more sacrifices....we are way too spoiled.... Not that we all have to be like that, but it's amazing what discipline they have, what they give up in order to follow their believes, how open minded they still are, how they don't have all the problems we have...and not to forget the beautiful scenery, and these beautiful people...yes, why not unite and take a big bath together....I think it would be nice if we could be doing something together without judgement....Great film!! I also saw Paula Fouce's film Origins Of Yoga which I liked a lot as well as I am practicing yoga and that's a must-see for Yoga practitioners. I can highly recommend both these films and I can't wait for the next one. I saw a trailer on their website, it's called By Many Names and features the Dalai Lama. I hope it will come out soon.

This was a documentary that was so inspiring and enlightening as well to a certain extent. I am a Hindu but I didn't know anything much about how Sadhus were and their lifestyles until I watched this film. When I thought about Sadhus, the first thing that would pop up in my head would be "ascetic people who have renounced luxuries in life". This is indeed true, yogis renounce all the luxuries and lead a simple life without worldly pleasures but the thought that how hard it is to sustain that life never really occurred to me. How did they stay so strong with their beliefs? What was it really that they were searching, what were they missing? New questions popped in my head as I watched this movie. This movie revolved around a young boy who followed a 5,000 year old path. He ultimately become a Naga Baba, a yogi. A must watch film.

A huge festival like Kuma is complicated enough to make sense, so India is something to be experienced. Paula Fouce's documentary puts more attention on the practices of Sadus, yogis, babas, nagas and those hermits that continue the ancient and traditional austerities for clarity.

Think about it. In western minds—to prove one's spirituality—is overly complicated, while these holy men live simply, and use their time on earth to harmonize with her rhythms. To western thinkers, these acts of austerity are amazing or odd.

Some wonderful things I remember: A yogi explains "God sends us back to earth because someone might benefit from our knowledge or experience. Youth itself is a form of God." As a Sadu in the Ganges explains "The flow of life is eternal. Man uses a vessel to carry the Ganges for his flow, as man is a vessel for God."

And about other reviewers who comment how everyone "is nude and often covered in ashes". Isn't this obvious from the title? If people are too prudish to purview penises, then they will miss the point entirely and should go pray in their pews for redemption.

Excellent edits and beautiful choices of music with moods in the stories; this film is very sincere about the spiritual quest for less materialism.