Naturism is another word for ‘nudism’. It is the ability to be able to embrace your own body in its birthday suit. To see the act of being naked without any connotation of sex is the aim of this action, to show that being naked is a good feeling. It is not an extreme form of movement or a revolution.

Private acts remain so and nobody wishes to go to their office naked either. It is the simple things in life, like bathing, which are done naked when in private and so want to be normalized by the social group of people who believe that publicly too we must continue doing it naked while sunbathing or when in beaches. 

The exact date of this movement is not known but, the first social group to practice this belief was that by Freilichtpark in 1903 in Germany led by Paul Zimmermann. 

So, where does India stand with the concept of naturism? 

The oldest place in India where you could bare it all was a nudist club set up in 1891 in Thane, that too by a judge! The idea was very short-lived since the club had only 3 members and the judge died a year later. If you want to consider naturism unofficially in India, then the Digambar Jains and the Naga sadhus have been acing the tradition for a really long time. 

However, the concept of naturism is not much of a success in India since if you go ahead and roam naked, you’ll be put in jail for violation of Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code for obscenity. The idea of the whole thing too causes in people’s minds some vulgar image, for which they are okay with talking about it online but not meeting up and actually stripping it all off comfortably.

The main thing to be understood is that shedding off clothes makes all individuals alike under their designer clothing. Just like a lot of these that are a taboo to be spoken about in the country, somehow naturism too has joined the list. There are, however, a few places in the country where there are nudist parties organized secretly. (Public nudity has actually been fined for in the past in India, making these parties a secret.)

These places are – the Agatti Island Beach in Lakshadweep (topless visitors found here), Om Beach (completely nude visitors found) and Paradise Beach (it is said to have actual secret gatherings) in Gorkana, Marari Beach in Kerala (its isolated location helps with the nudity) and Ozran Beach in Goa (difficult to find but worth the experience).

Folks, do remember that by going nude in India publicly, for whatever reason that may be, you will be at the risk of being put behind bars. So, unless the law changes (and, for the sake of creeps and perverts I hope it does not), keep your naturist gatherings a secret!