ABSTRACT
When I arrived in the pilgrimage town of Haridwar in 1989, as a graduate student eager to research Hindu renouncers, or sadhus, I did not grasp why so many Indians I met were unenthused about my plans. I had prepared for years in order to conduct this research, learning Hindi, reading scholarship, and working to obtain research funding. But everyone I spoke with, whether relatives, friends, or the middle-class urbanites I met, wondered why I would want to come all the way from America to live among Hindu renouncers. Many presumed that sadhus were aged, somber, and just plain boring. Moreover, for me to conduct research, I would have to live in Haridwar, a pilgrimage town where people get up at dawn and turn in by 9:00 pm, a place where the sale of alcohol, meat, and even eggs is illegal. Wouldn’t I rather find some research project in the city and enjoy all its comforts and pleasures, including nightclubs and a more exciting social life?
