This may well be the most infamous episode of "Madventures". Our happy-go-lucky hosts Riku and Tunna venture to vast and mysterious India. They sacrifice a goat, Freddy, (and eat it in conclusion), partake in religious celebrations, including washing themselves in the Ganges (which probably must have had their health-insurance spinning on their heads), indulge in drinking a few cups of Bhang-Lassi (a form of milk-shake or yogurt, the main ingredient being hemp or better known as Marihuana), literally 'chilling' with the Sadhus, the holy-men of India, while sharing more of the holy weed and watching the Sadhus perform their tricks. In this case wrapping ones penis around a razor-sharp sword (no Sadhus were harmed during the filming). However, highlight of this episode is the visit that Riku and Tunna pay to a specific brand of Sadhus, namely the Aghori.

The Aghori happen to practice a specific form of tradition in Hinduism, which teaches that everything created by the gods is sacred and perfect, and hence do not subject or believe in any form of taboo. Usually found around the "Ghats" (riverfront steps that lead to the Ganges) of the city Varanasi, Aghoris are known to live and meditate around the cremation-grounds of this area. What has given this particular creed a sense of infamy, is not only that Aghori drink alcohol, smoke the "bhang" in abundance and will mate with women of castes lower than their own, but they will on ceremonious occasions eat the flesh of semi-burned human-carcasses that float down the Ganges. Riku and Tunna are allowed to film one particular ritual in this "public cemetery" and I dare say that the scenes they film would have driven off seasoned BBC-documentary-crew at godspeed. Armed with only a camera and the stoicism for which the Finns are renowned for, the duo witness as those "holy madmen" smoke and drink themselves into a frenzy, bite off the heads of live chicken, gnarls at the corpse of a dead dog and eventually pee into human skullcaps (let's just say, crystal-glasses were not available on this occasion) and at the presenter. Before the party becomes too rough, our presenters are ask to leave and one can only speculate, what other "wonders" this evening would have held in store. On the other hand: perhaps it's best not to speculate.

Let's just be conservative and say, that this isn't your usual catholic Sunday-service (or Presbyterian, or Baptist or Amish, for that matter). One has to give credit where credit is due: Even seasoned horror-film-directors and even Italian Mondo-producers would have been hard-pressed to dream this up in a fever-dream, let alone sit through it as stoically as our presenters. Having studied the matter a little myself, this may well have been one of the few occasions where a (western) camera was allowed to witness at least part of a Aghori ceremony. And yes, "sensationalism" is a big key-word here, something that the "Madventures"-crew has often been accused of. Then again, this isn't "National Georgaphic" and the duo has never contested, that they wanted to shoot anything but the most obscure, shocking and unusual aspects to be found in the world. We'll hence have to leave it to theologians, anthropologists and psychologists to decide, whether the Aghori are "enlightened gurus" or just mentally deranged ghouls. The show and particular this episode still stands as evidence, that occasional "amateurs" (meant in the most positive terms) like "Madventures" and "VICE News" are more often than not beating the Pros at their own game. A solid 8/10