AN ECCENTRIC SHARU DURING SHIVA'S DAY

In theory a Sharu is a person that renounces to his previous material life and chooses to search for enlightment through a spiritual life. In practise, very few end up somewhere near there. The majority may be divided in two: the beggars and the hippies. The first ones are just begging all day. Their strategy is to put a "tika" on your head (a red thing that they stick on your forehead) and ask for money in return. The seconds, usually younger, are more like enjoying themselves, smoking spliffs and chatting. Although they will also ask you for money, they do not even bother to offer you tika.

During Shiva’s Day, sometime between the end of February and the beginning of March, many Sharus meet around Pasupatinath, the place where the people from Kathmandu cremate their dead. In this video, you will see one of these characters performing. If you listen to the audio carefully, you will notice a security officer giving instructions through his radio. You can also see several security personnel too. It gives you an idea of the level of militarisation in Nepal, due to the unstable political situation.