No matter what political strand one belongs to, hardly anyone would disagree with the fact that in the larger context of India and Pakistan, there are various threads intertwining the two regions, in their multifaceted cultural hues. The result sometimes has been a strong reaction; with attempts to sever all ties, as is represented by the Hindu and Muslim extremist movements across South Asia, whereas on other occasions, there has been an amalgam of traditions in such a way that it has been often difficult if not impossible to untangle the various cultural products. Even though religion has been identified as the primary source, a contention of identification and differentiation; nowhere has this fusion been more pronounced and easier to identify. The monk, sadhu, fakir, sufi, dervish, all may represent diverging religious traditions, nonetheless share a common paradigm, easily identified in their practices.

On a trip to Bhera, I noticed a mural on a Sikh smadh, representing a Sadhu, with just a lungi, long hair and beard, sitting in the Buddha position. This was my first encounter with an Udasi Sadhu. On another conference, I saw a documentary on the mela at Sher Garh. Here I noticed young boys, in lungis with shaven head in a large number dancing on the beat of dhols. They looked more like Jains than Muslims. Finally, when I met a young 'Muslim' fakir, clad in a black chola, a green turban, black beads, numerous bells, huge ghongroos and rings, I realised that all of these examples representing different religious doctrines had in common certain principles that needed to be explored. That's when I met the Udasi Sadhu.

According to the Encyclopedia of Sikh Literature, the word Udasi is derived from Udas, which happens to be a Sanskrit word, meaning a state of depression, primarily because of somebody's absence. Udasi is also termed as a pilgrimage, taking one away from the familiarities of one's home and familial relations. The Encyclopedia notes that the first Sikh Guru during his lifetime took part in four Udasis covering all the cardinal directions.

Within the Hindus and Sikhs, (to be joined by Muslims later) there is a common sect known as the Udasi Sadhus. They derive their origin from the eldest son of Nanak, Shri Chand. His first student Baba Gurdita, later taught four disciples: Balu Hasna, Al-Mast, Phool Shah, Govinda, all of whom eventually formed their four divergent sects.

Some people believe that the first two out of these four, were Muslims, however there are others who deny the authenticity of this claim. Even though these various sects didn't fall under the main stream Sikhism, all of them still enjoyed the blessing of the Sikh gurus, and they used to obey their command.

Earlier, they used to maintain their hair like the Sikhs, wearing the orange chola (a symbol of Sufi, monk, and Sadhu tradition in South Asia, which all of them share in common), with a black cloth around the neck, and a tomba in the hand. They mostly had a long cap on the top of their heads.

Gradually however, they commenced differentiating themselves from mainstream Sikhism, when they began changing their coiffure. Some of them left their hair hanging on their shoulders, while others started removing all of their body hair (like a sect in Jainism). They took off their cholas and began wearing nothing but lungis. This brought them the name of Nanghe, derived from Nange (naked). They began rubbing ash and oil on their bodies, to blacken them further, perhaps symbolic for abhorring everything that is not ephemeral. They formed their deras where they started living as a community, secluded from civilisation. Instead of reciting Granth Sahib, they started venerating Dasant Granth, the holy book written by the tenth guru.

Muslims, who had been lured into these deras as a result of Al Mast and Bannu stuck to the Koran and teaching of the Sufis for their spiritual guidance. However, other practices, which included staying naked in deras, and rubbing ash and oil over the body could not elude them. Because of this they were deemed as the same Udasi Sadhus.

They chant the hymns of Al Mast, so they are also known as Al Mast. Perhaps the verb Mast, meaning a state of ecstasy is also derived from them. Al Mast along with Boo Ali Qalander, Lal Shahbaz Qalander, and Hazrat Rabia Basri is considered one of the the 2 fi

Muslim Qalanders, of which the latter is fi a Qalander. This explains the term Mast Qalander often used in Sufi Qawwalis and poetry.

In Pakistan, these Mast Qalanders are found in large numbers centered on Shahbaz Qalander at Sehwan Shariff. They are perpetually involved in Udasi from one tomb to another, and are found dancing or Mast on the rhythm of dhol during the urs celebration of famous Sufi Saints.

Derived directly from a Sikh tradition, however it would be unfair to state that the traditional origin of these Malangs can be attributed to a single religious entity. It predates Sikhism, Buddhism, or even Hinduism. We notice in Indus Valley tradition these spiritual people wearing minimal clothing, renouncing the world, to follow a spiritual quest. The tradition of course was given an institutional establishment with the development of the Brahminical and Buddhist culture of the Ganges Valley Civilisation. The Brahmins and Buddhists began renouncing the world, whereas the Jains started removing all of their hair, as an emblem of disdain for the material world. They were the ones to choose the orange chola, worn by the Buddhists and by the Hindu priests, even today. The Muslim fakirs, very much part of this religious milieu stick to this colour, and refrain from the world, sometimes growing their hair long, sometimes, cutting it completely. So no matter how much these religious cultures of South Asia try to raise up boundaries, to protect themselves from the barbaric influences of each other, the syncretism that underlines the Indian tradition, culminating in the Sufi, Sadhu, and monk culture would continue to haunt the orthodox in these traditions.

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For the vast majority of young people including myself who very recently finished a strenuous academic year, one which demanded ceaseless, vigorous activity of our grey cells, the summer holidays are an eagerly-anticipated break, a chance to relax, unwind and bask in the relentless heat. For most, summer is in full swing. For yours truly, summer has comprised thus far of a regular rendez-vous with an ice-cold swimming pool, chocolate mint ice cream containing little chunks of After Eight from Cosa Nostra and last but not least, an internship at a prestigious newspaper.

I have been inclined towards writing since the very beginning, and throughout my childhood, I spent many happy hours scribbling bits of amateur poetry and nonsensical prose here and there on pieces of paper and occasionally, much to my mother's dismay, using walls as my literary canvas. As I grew older, my thoughts matured and gained some form of coherence, so I tried my hand at writing articles for a couple of publications.

Therefore, when the time approached, it seemed only natural and perfectly obvious that my choice of internship should involve some form of writing. In the short span of two weeks that I have been working at a newspaper, the experience has lived up to my expectations. I consider writing to be my forte, and this internship has given me the opportunity to explore various literary avenues, with which develops a certain fluency and continuity of thought. In addition, my ability to promptly pick out and correct even the smallest of grammatical and punctuation errors, which has been a constant source of annoyance to my classmates throughout my school life, has been put to good use.

I derive a kind of sadistic pleasure from slicing other people's sentences and rearranging and changing their words around a bit to make pieces of writing more effective. However, watching my own work being edited by others, witnessing paragraphs which I had spent much time and effort in writing be casually crossed out without so much as a thought, is an ordeal in itself. Editing it myself is relatively easier, for Isaac Singer put it well when he said, "The waste basket is the writer's best friend."

The general consensus on internships seems to be that they make one's college applications look impressive and appealing, while some people intern to gain work experience in a certain field. However, my humble opinion is that if you spend your summer doing what you love and are passionate about, the results will be fairly more pleasing and you will find that your time has been well-spent. You may have to spend more time looking but if you look in the right places, you will find an internship which is best suited to your talents and natural abilities, something which you can excel at, not just get a certificate for.