10 thoughts on “PHOTO: Woman in Sadhu Clothes at Old Folks Home at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal”

  1. Lovely Photo. I had the pleasure of being taken round the Pashupatinath by a devout and intelligent Nepalui colleague. He explained that many older Nepali’s choose to spend their last days there in the hope of leaving this earth well, which may involve them becoming Sadhu.

    The sadhus are, of course, informal holy people – mostly men but more than a few women, known as sadhvi – who make their own choice as to how how to peruse a solitary holiness. many belong to long-standing sadhu groups, others to ad-hoc ones, but most just choose to do things their own way. If that includes collecting a few rupees for posing for photos or giving a blessing, then good for them

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  2. She still looks so alert and spritely for her age. LIke Matthew below, I am a bit intrigued how she became a sadhu as I thought it was a male only position.

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    • I’m not sure she is a sadhu, as I didn’t speak to her, however I have seen other women dressed in sadhu clothes and wandering around Durbar Square with the male sadhus, posing for photos for money. Don’t know if it’s exclusively male or not.

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  3. Please tell me more about this picture. This woman is in Sadhu clothes but lives in an old people’s home. Is she in this clothes because her husband has passed away or is she a Sadhu in the Hindu tradition? If the latter is the case, I thought that only men became Sadhus and then they wandered after serving a guru for a number of years. Please guide me here. I know I must be wrong about some aspects of this picture.

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    • Hi Matthew: I didn’t speak to her but she was a resident of the old folks home at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. Several of the women were out on the porch lounging around and posing for photos, which they expected to be paid for. If I had to guess, she was dressed that way to attract more photos, and thereby more donations.
      Barbara Weibel
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  4. I don’t often comment but this pix is one of you best – in my opinion.  You captured her peace happiness.  Love the color and beads.

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