Several Akharas reached the Sangam to take the holy bath on the first 'Amrit Snan' of Maha Kumbh 2025 and Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar informed that the total number of devotes who had taken dip in the Sangam has crossed the 10 million mark. Interestingly, the Mahakumbh mela, being held every 12 years at Prayagraj, is the world’s largest religious gathering, attracting millions of devotees worldwide.
Over 40 crore people are expected to attend the 45-day festival that offers an extraordinary opportunity to witness a diverse congregation. Amid these varying range of crowds, an unexpected figure has emerged at the Kumbh Mela who is known as ‘IITian Baba’. At the crowded Kumbh Mela, he has captured the attention of devotees and social media alike.
He is Abhay Singh, an aerospace engineer from IIT Bombay who transformed his promising scientific career to embrace spirituality.
Who is IIT Baba Abhay Singh?
Abhay Singh, who is natively from Haryana, completed his engineering degree at IIT Bombay. During his academic life, he developed a keen interest in philosophy and sought a deeper understanding of life by studying the works of Plato, Socrates, and exploring Postmodernism.
Later, Abhay Singh changed his name to Masani Gorakh and dedicated his life to Lord Shiva. He said he also goes by other names such as Raghav and Jagdish. He also coached students in Physics.
After completing his engineering studies, IIT Baba pursued a Master’s degree in Design and explored his creative side through photography. Despite his academic and artistic accomplishments, he realized that his true calling was spirituality and this made all the difference in his life.
At the Kumbh mela, Abhay Singh said that his inner quest led him to leave his scientific career and embrace the life of a monk. At the Maha kumbh Mela 2025, he described his journey, stating, “This stage is the best stage.”
Abhay Singh’s story has inspired many and one video of him went viral on social media. His transition from a successful engineer to a monk highlights the universal search for meaning and fulfilment that transcends materialistic gains.