RETURN TO INNOCENCE

Paradise On The Ground -- Chapter 1

The (Naked) Immortals Of Ellora

Our quest for nude monks brought us to the tiny ancient hamlet of Ellora in western India - our first destination. Ellora is famous for its ancient caves which used to house hundreds of ascetics of the Digambara sect centuries ago. At present, only a handful of them remain there. In fact, Pallavi informed me that the total population of this sect in the entire country has now dwindled to less than 100.

Perils of modern civilization and urbanization, I thought. Nudism is now a hashtag, a trend, and not a moral choice to renounce the material world.

"The great monk lives on top of the hill behind those caves," our local tour guide informed us. "But there is no way to set up a meeting with him. He seldom meets outsiders, let alone women."

"Why so?" I was quick to ask.

"Women are regarded as fundamentally impure and immoral by this sect," the guide replied with a straight face. "Especially by immortals like the great monk."

"He is immortal? Really?" I started giggling.

"It's not funny," the guide's tone turned sombre now. "He has been around for centuries. Most people living in nearby villages, including my parents and grandparents, have seen him around forever. Always old, but never aged a bit. Legend has it that he attained enlightenment centuries ago and has stopped aging since then."

"How could most people get to 'see' him if he seldom interacts with outsiders?" it was Pallavi's turn to be curious this time.

"Well, he has a handful of disciples who meet him regularly. They claim to have never seen him age or fall sick. It's like he was born old, but never got older. The legend of his immortality has been going around since my grandparent's time."

"Could you please introduce us to one of these 'disciples'?" asked Pallavi. "We are here to become his followers. We would like to join his cult."

The tour guide obliged. He had nothing to gain by refusing our request. He took us outside one of the many caves dotting the landscape and asked us to wait while he went inside. He came out a few minutes later and nodded affirmatively.

"This is the great monk's head disciple," he warned us before we stepped inside the cave. "He practices complete nudity in accordance with his religious beliefs, so don't be alarmed. And please be polite in your speech."

Armed with this information and the flashlight of our smartphones, me and Pallavi entered the dark damp cave with trepidation. However, it was not a shithole as I had expected it to be. Turned out, that the entire pathway from the entrance to the inner sanctum of the cave was neatly swept and clean. The air was filled with the fragrance of incense.

The dark narrow pathway led us into a small clearing which was surrounded by rocks and pebbles. A single candle burned silently at the centre of the clearing alongside dozens of incense sticks. And right behind the candle sat a man with his legs crossed and eyes closed. He did not have a stitch on his body and it appeared as though he was lost in meditation.

"Excuse me?" Pallavi spoke first to draw his attention. The man slowly opened his eyes and moved his palms to cover his crotch.

"What brings you here?" he spoke in a gentle soothing voice which sounded neither too old nor too young. He was probably middle-aged, I thought.

"Sir, we have come all the way from Delhi to be your disciple," Pallavi tried to sound as reverential as possible. "Please allow us to become a part of your community."

"That's impossible," he replied without the hint of any emotion. "Women cannot be accepted in our sect."

"But Sir," pleaded Pallavi, "we wish to renounce the world, live a pious life, and attain enlightenment. Kindly help us."