A candidate for initiation has his head shaved, is invested with a
necklace of beads of the _tulsi_ or basil, and is taught a _mantra_
or text relating to Vishnu by his preceptor. The initiation
text of the Ramanandis is said to be _Om Ramaya Namah_, or _Om_,
Salutation to Rama. _Om_ is a very sacred syllable, having much magical
power. Thereafter the novice must journey to Dwarka in Gujarat and have
his body branded with hot iron or copper in the shape of Vishnu's four
implements: the _chakra_ or discus, the _guda_ or club, the _shank_ or
conch-shell and the _padma_ or lotus. Sometimes these are not branded
but are made daily on the arms with clay. The sect-mark should be made
with Gopichandan or the milkmaid's sandalwood. This is supposed to be
clay taken from a tank at Dwarka, in which the Gopis or milkmaids who
had been Krishna's companions drowned themselves when they heard of his
death. But as this can seldom be obtained any suitable whitish clay is
used instead. The Bairagis commonly let their hair grow long, after
being shaved at initiation, to imitate the old forest ascetics. If
a man makes a pilgrimage on foot to some famous shrine he may have
his head shaved there and make an offering of his hair. Others keep
their hair long and shave it only at the death of their _guru_ or
preceptor. They usually wear white clothes, and if a man has a cloth
on the upper part of the body it should be folded over the shoulders
and knotted at the neck. He also has a _chimta_ or small pair of tongs,
and, if he can obtain it, the skin of an Indian antelope, on which he
will sit while taking his food. The skin of this animal is held to be
sacred. Every Bairagi before he takes his food should dip a sprig of
_tulsi_ or basil into it to sanctify it, and if he cannot get this he
uses his necklace of _tulsi_-beads for the purpose instead. The caste
abstain from flesh and liquor, but are addicted to the intoxicating
drugs, _ganja_ and _bhang_ or preparations of Indian hemp. A Hindu
on meeting a Bairagi will greet him with the phrase 'Jai Sitaram,'
and the Bairagi will answer, 'Sitaram.' This word is a conjunction
of the names of Rama and his consort Sita. When a Bairagi receives
alms he will present to the giver a flower and a sprig of _tulsi_.