People Out There: Colourful sadhu in Orcha

While backpacking around Orcha in Madhya Pradesh, I clicked a picture of this very colourful sadhu while leaving the fort.

He came after me, asking to pay him money since I took a picture of him. When I asked him why I should pay him. He went on to tell me that this is his source of living and he has a family of six to support. He added that he was the only working member of the family.

So I offered to buy him a bottle of soda, the heat that day in MP was just killing. I went on to ask him why he chose this as a way of living. His reply was that he was not educated and dressing up like a sadhu with all this extra colour was the best way to make a living.

He told me that on a good day he made around a grand while his average was around ₹ 200-400/day, with foreign tourists loving to click pictures with him. He added, that they were ready to donate money willing, unlike Indians who like me would run away after clicking his picture.

We went on to have lunch that afternoon at this favourite place, which served us some excellent vegetarian thali at just ₹80.

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