Prayagraj: While the Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj is turning into a hub of viral sensations, it’s two unusual spiritual figures that have millions of people talking. Harsha Richhariya, a former social media influencer, and Abhay Singh, an IIT Bombay graduate—the stories of these two are now making the rounds as they successfully blend modern education with more spiritual sensibilities.
The one who has been grabbing attention with her rudraksha necklace, flower garlands, and tilak is Harsha Richhariya, whose video went viral on day one of Mahakumbh. “I’m not a Sadhvi,” she clarified in an exclusive interview. Sadhvi is a very difficult path, and extreme penance is to be done. “My spiritual guide has given me guru mantra initiation, and I chant it regularly.”‘.
Richhariya, originally from Madhya Pradesh but now residing in Uttarakhand, shared her spiritual journey: Mahadev was a father figure when I was four. Since then, I have been connected to him, and I’ve shared with him all my problems and troubles. Yoga for her is the first such positive experience that she had in Ahmedabad in 2019 when she gave up cold drinks and coffee and moved to a more spiritual lifestyle.
But in a bizarre twist, another viral figure appeared—Abhay Singh, also called ‘IIT Baba’—who’ has been in custody since October 2013. He, in an interview with CNN News 18, told he had a background in aerospace engineering from IIT Bombay. “After graduating from IIT, I pursued training as a photographer, and for a short while I even taught physics.” ‘I came to the library hunting for the meaning of life. But searching for the meaning of life led me here,’ Singh said.
Singh, who is originally from Haryana, spent four years in Mumbai for his IIT studies. He said as you seek knowledge, you go to the spirituality, and the best state you can be in is this.
These stories have divided social media, and the videos have been viewed by millions. This juxtaposition between modern education and traditional spirituality has played on the public imagination, and people have wondered what is happening to the spiritual leadership of India with changing times.
Still, it’s anybody’s guess whether these unique spiritual figures, as the Mahakumbh rolls on, will shift the discourse on faith and education in contemporary India.