Talk of Reverse assimilation and you have an Australian ascetic who is the centre of attraction at the Kumbh Mela. Sharabhang Giri.
Baba Sharabhang was an atheist before becoming a Hindu sanyasi. He was given a Hindu name by his Guru Baba Mangal Giri.
Baba Sharabganj stands out from the rest of the crowds due to his radiant fair complexion. He puffs away at a chillum with his silvery white hair tied in a top knot. Speaking to the Indian News Agency ANI he says, "I had some experience in Yoga. But it was only after I came to India that I was introduced to Sanatan Dharma." He came to India in 1998 and visited Mt. Girnar in Gujarat. After that, his life changed.
Baba Sharabganj normally lives in a little "kutir" (a hut made of wood and straw) in Melbourne. When he is in India he is constantly on the move, if at all he spends a length of time it is in his Guru’s ashram in Uttarakhand.
This is Baba Giri’s 10th Kumbh Mela. He has seen many changes in the set up at the Kumbh Mela since 2001. He is a part of the Juna Akhada of Naga sadhus.
