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For thousands of years they have been around. Once they must have been more numerous, but even today there are still four to five million sadhus, constituting about half a percent of the total population.

Organised in various sects, they passed on the wisdom of old, the method of yoga, that is 'yoking' soul and Soul together.

Usually they live by themselves, on the fringes of society, and spend their days in devotion to their chosen deity.

Some perform magical rituals to make contact with the gods, others practise intense forms of yoga and meditation to increase their spiritual powers and acquire mystical knowledge.

Certainly, not all sadhus are enlightened. But believers regard them all as holy anyway, if only because of their radical commitment. And successful sadhus are even worshipped as 'gods on earth'.

Believers only have to 'behold' a sadhu -- as a kind of living idol -- to receive a spark of his spiritual energy. They give donations to the sadhus -- regarded as offerings to the gods -- and get their blessing in return. Thus, since time immemorial, has Indian society been organised to support the holy men, for they are not supposed to work.

But in India too, the times they are a'changing.

Extracted from: "Sadhus, Holy Men of India" by Dolf Hartsuiker