and were instituted when the Bairagis had to fight with the
Gosains. Any member of one of the four Sampradayas can belong to any
one of the seven Akharas, and a man can change his Akhara as often as
he likes, but not his Sampradaya. The Akharas, with the exception of
the Lasgaris, who change the red centre line of the Ramanandis into
a white line, have no special sect-marks. They are distinguished by
their flags or standards, which are elaborately decorated with gold
thread embroidered on silk or sometimes with jewels, and cost two
or three hundred rupees to prepare. These standards were carried
by the Naga or naked members of the Akhara, who went in front and
fought. Once in twelve years a great meeting of all the seven Akharas
is held at Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain or Hardwar, where they bathe and
wash the image of the god in the water of the holy rivers. The quarrels
between the Bairagis and Gosains usually occurred at the sacred rivers,
and the point of contention was which sect should bathe first. The
following is a list of the seven Akharas: Digambari, Khaki, Munjia,
Kathia, Nirmohi, Nirbani or Niranjani and Lasgari.

The name of the Digamber or Meghdamber signifies sky-clad or
cloud-clad, that is naked. They do penance in the rainy season
by sitting naked in the rain for two or three hours a day with an
earthen pot on the head and the hands inserted in two others so that
they cannot rub the skin. In the dry season they wear only a little
cloth round the waist and ashes over the rest of the body. The ashes
are produced from burnt cowdung picked up off the ground, and not
mixed with straw like that which is prepared for fuel.

The Khaki Bairagis also rub ashes on the body. During the four hot
months they make five fires in a circle, and kneel between them with
the head and legs and arms stretched towards the fires. The fires are
kindled at noon with little heaps of cowdung cakes, and the penitent
stays between them till they go out. They also have a block of wood
with a hole through it, into which they insert the organ of generation
and suspend it by chains in front and behind. They rub ashes on the
body, from which they probably get their name of Khaki or dust-colour.

The Munjia Akhara have a belt made of _munj_ grass round the waist,
and a little apron also of grass, which is hung from it, and passed
through the legs. Formerly they wore no other clothes, but now they
have a cloth. They also do penance between th