Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik

In a guru's ashram, I saw a young, beautiful girl who had completely stripped herself of her gender and sexuality: shaven hair, ash on her face, baggy clothes, bare feet, and complete subservience to her guru, who she referred to as 'master'. The men were similarly shaven, and dressed. This was supposed to purify them, and help them commune with God via the guru.