Aughar

Name given to a novice in the ascetic
community known as the Naths, who
are devotees (bhakta) of the god Shiva.
An aughar has been initiated as a member of the Naths and has taken up their
ascetic way of life, but he has not yet
received his final initiation. In this final
ritual, the cartilage in the novice’s ears is
pierced in order to insert the large earrings that are one of the Nath community’s defining characteristics.