Aghori’s self-immolation bid triggers tension in Srikalahasti

Aghori accuses the police of behaving rudely with her, forcing her to take the extreme step

Devotees visiting the Srikalahastheeswara Swamy temple at Srikalahasti town were left tensed when a female ‘Aghori Naga sadhu’ tried to self-immolate in front of the temple on Thursday.

As part of her pilgrimage to various Shiva temples, the Aghori reached Srikalahasti and was preparing to enter the shrine when the temple security staff requested her to wear proper clothing. Meanwhile, Aghoris remain naked, even in public places, and she maintained that Aghoris preferred to worship Shiva in their traditional format and told the staff not to insist upon wearing clothes.

After a brief altercation, the staff informed the local police, who reached the spot to defuse the situation. In a fit of rage, the Aghori took out a petrol can from her car, doused it over herself and the vehicle and attempted self-immolation. However, this attempt was thwarted immediately.

Upon witnessing this, panicked devotees ran helter-skelter from the spot, while the police poured water on her. Women police, accompanied by some local women, attempted to drape a cloth over her body and shifted her to a local hospital.

The Aghori accused the police of behaving rudely with her, thereby forcing her to take the extreme step. On the other hand, the temple security staff explained that they were only following the rule book on the temple dress code.

Published - November 07, 2024 07:38 pm IST