Silent Baba
Perched on a grassy knoll at 14,200 feet in the Garhwal of the Indian Himalaya, Tapovan is a cluster of stone buildings and an oasis for climbers and trekkers. "Silent Baba" is a sadhu who caretakes a small ashram and welcomes visitors. He has not spoken in seven years but performs daily rituals lighting a flame at sunset and offers hospitality to those that pass through. Many believe the higher up one goes on the Ganges, the more sacred and pure its holy water are. Silent Baba has dedicated his life to solitude and silence at the rivers birthplace.