India is called the land of spirituality and the divine, and people have found several ways of connecting with this divinity. The subcontinent is home to people from several religions and faiths coexisting together, and we have all been witness to how spirituality plays out for believers.

One such community of believers can be found outside the Dadhichi Rishi ashram, situated on the banks of Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, every Thursday, where they congregate to offer prayers and make wishes at the shrine of Aghori Dada. 

© TOI

But what makes this place of worship more special than most others, is the unique prayer offering that is made here. The offerings to the saint come in the form of cigarettes and roses, which are presented by devotees in the hopes of getting their wishes fulfilled.

Even in the middle of the pandemic, the custom has been kept alive and people have been visiting the shrine regularly to make their offerings. However, if reports are to be believed, the trust overlooking the shrine have said that the cigarettes and roses cannot be expensive.

© needpix (Representative Image)

“Whether a person comes in a luxurious car or by foot, the same cheap brand of cigarette is offered to Aghori Dada. People cannot offer expensive cigarettes here," 

Hitesh Sevak, the managing trustee of the Dudhadhari Mahadev Trust, told TOI. He also added that earlier offerings like Charas and Ganja were made to the Aghoris, but that stopped when use of these items were prohibited under the law.

The devotees light the cigarettes from a flame that burns at the shrine and then place it in a rack located next to it. This apparently symbolises Adhori Dada smoking which helps fulfill their wishes.

Never heard anything like it before, have you?

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