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Tota Puri and Vedanta

Towards the end of 1864, an itinerant monk named Tota Puri, a tall naked mendicant with tangled hair; a Naga sadhu of Mahanirvani Akhara, born probably in Punjab, arrived at Dakshineswar while on a pilgrimage through various holy sites in India. He was the head of a monastery and claimed leadership over seven hundred sannyasis. These sannyasis are renowned to be the knowers of Brahman, and as beings who are thoroughly satisfied in themselves. They see the whole universe as Brahman and its manifestation through Maya. They are always on move, traveling to different pilgrimage places, visiting various temples and meeting holy people in order to experience Brahman there. Tota Puri was one such man who was on a similar visit when he arrived at Dakshineswar. It was a traditional convention with him to not spend more than three days at any one place, and arrived at the Kali temple expecting to spend only three days there.