Hindu or Muslim religious ascetics who have renounced worldly possessions and live lives of prayer and spiritual devotion, often living as wandering monks.
From Arabic 'faqir' (meaning poor or indigent person), borrowed into English via trade and colonial contact with South Asia. The word emphasizes voluntary poverty as a spiritual path.
Fakirs became celebrities in Victorian England—traveling showmen claimed to be fakirs and performed 'miracles' like lying on beds of nails, blending authentic spiritual practice with stage entertainment.
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