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> A Visit to the Alakha Nath
> Temple in Bareilly by Peter Meyer
> 
> The Alakha Nath Temple is the headquarters of the Anand Akhara order of Naga
> sannyasins. Members of this order of Shiva devotees are also known as Naga
> Babas. The temple is at Bareilly, a large town in Uttar Pradesh, India. To get
> there from the station you flag down a taxi (of sorts), a cross between a jeep
> and an auto-rickshaw. It's only five rupees to the Alakha Nath temple because
> this vehicle picks up other passengers along the way.
> 
> It's early summer, 2003, rather warm but not hot. After half-an-hour you
> arrive. You pass through the outer gate to the temple grounds, leading to an
> avenue of stalls, after which you come to the inner temple gate.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Outer temple gate  
> Inner temple gate (Click on the images to see enlargements.)
> 
> The temple complex beyond the inner gate consists of several buildings with a
> kind of courtyard in the center. There are various shrines, big and small,
> some within buildings, some outside. Numerous devotees are going from one
> shrine to the next to make offerings and prayers. Animals of various kinds are
> around the place. Cows and goats are tethered, and behind one of the buildings
> is a camel.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Devotees  
> Camel
> 
> There's a sadhu sitting at a shrine, ready to receive offerings from devotees.
> There's another sadhu sitting on a mat on a verandah of one of the buildings.
> He looks like someone important. Approaching him, with hands clasped together,
> he greets you and smears ash on your forehead from a pile of ashes in front of
> him (the ashes are in front of a tall Shiva trident stuck in the ground). This
> person turns out to be Shri Mahant Baba Dhram Geree. He speaks no English, but
> a couple of people try to translate for you. You've heard that the head of the
> temple is called Balak Baba, and you tell him you're looking for him. Not sure
> he understands, though. He is friendly, and soon a small chillum (for smoking
> hashish) is being passed around.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sadhu at shrine  
> Baba Dhram Geree
> 
> One of the men, Prem Saxena, is a lay devotee, and understands some English,
> though not well. You try to tell him that you were a disciple of Ganesh Baba,
> who is buried here somewhere, and you've come to make some offering at his
> grave. He does not understand, but thinks you want to perform puja like the
> other visitors to the temple, so he takes you around to the various shrines.
> He mutters prayers, touching the many images of deities and then touching his
> forehead to transfer a blessing. He takes you into a kind of small crypt,
> which seems to be an especially holy place, and there is a Shiva lingam set in
> a hole in the floor, on which devotees place flowers.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Door to lingam shrine  
> Durga shrine
> 
> Eventually he takes you to a room, open on three sides, where there is a
> sadhu, apparently an important one. He has orange-colored powder smeared over
> most of the top half of his face. Prem Saxena tells you this is Balak Baba.
> Aha, the very man you've come to see! He is speaking with several young Indian
> men. But unfortunately he speaks no English, and you can't explain to him why
> you're here. Balak Baba motions to you to come closer. He smears some colored
> powder on your forehead. He shows you a page written in Hindi, with pictures
> of a couple of babas. You understand that he wishes you to make a donation to
> this cause, whatever it is. After consultation with Prem Saxena you offer 1000
> rupees (about US$22), which seems to please him.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Balak Baba  
> Balak Baba
> 
> Next Prem Saxena takes you to another place where there are several images of
> deities, the most important one apparently being an image of Shanidev, all in
> black, with white eyes prominent. Prem Saxena explains that if one sees
> Shanidev during meditation it's good if one only sees his feet and legs, or
> the lower part of his body; if one sees his eyes then that's not good. Several
> sadhus and laymen are sitting around on a verandah, and a group of women are
> singing bhajans (Hindu devotional songs).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A sadhu  
> Bhajan singers
> 
> Prem Saxena introduces you to the main baba here. This turns out to be Saloney
> Baba. He is also friendly, and has a warm gaze. He takes some ash from the
> ashpit in front of him (with another Shiva trident) and smears some on your
> forehead. A chillum is passed around and eventually tea is brought.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Saloney Baba  
> Saloney Baba and another
> 
> Finally you are able to explain to Saloney Baba, througn Prem Saxena, that you
> were a disciple of Ganesh Baba, and that you're here to see Ganesh Baba's
> burial place. Saloney Baba is quite pleased to hear this, since Saloney Baba
> knew Ganesh Baba well. In fact, Saloney Baba tells you, when Ganesh Baba died
> at Nainital he died in his arms.
> 
> Saloney Baba takes you to the entrance to the temple complex and across the
> path to a building consisting of a single room with a tall tapering tower
> above it. This is Ganesh Baba's tomb. Inside is a shrine with an image of the
> elephant-headed Ganesh, and on the wall is a picture of Ganesh Baba. The room
> is closed by an iron grille at the front, but is opened each morning and
> evening for puja. Saloney Baba says that at night many devotees come here,
> singing bhajans and making offerings.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ganesh Baba's grave  
> Ganesh shrine at grave
> 
> You walk back with Saloney Baba. You indicate that it's time you were going,
> but he makes you stay awhile to smoke another chillum. Finally, with many
> smiles and gestures of respect, you leave and get a rickshaw back into town.
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> Images © 2003 Peter Meyer
> 
> 
> 
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