Kathiya Baba Ashram, Shivala

The Kathiya Baba Ashram in the Shivala neighborhood of Varanasi belongs to a tradition of Nimbarka Vaishnava ascetics. This group is named for their founder, Swami Ramdas Kathia Baba, who lived during the nineteenth century. He earned his title by wearing a broad wooden belt, or kath, around his waist, a practice his followers continued as a sign of their commitment to celibacy and discipline.