A Reflection Inspired by Yakub Mathew’s “Seeking the Infinite”

There are moments in life when the vastness of the world humbles us, when the boundaries of identity blur, and when the self — with all its illusions of importance — feels like a grain of sand in an endless desert. For millions, one such moment is found at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, the largest spiritual gathering on Earth. And for writer Yakub Mathew, whose book Seeking the Infinite captures the experience with rare tenderness, it was a journey he had waited for all his life.

For many Indians, attending the Kumbh Mela is a milestone of devotion. But the Maha Kumbh, held once every 144 years, is something far beyond — a cosmic appointment that only the most fortunate of generations get to witness. In 2025, as 450 million pilgrims across the world converged on Prayagraj for the 45-day celebration, Mathew found himself among them, awe-struck, humbled, and transformed.

A Childhood Fascination Becomes Reality

Mathew’s fascination with the Kumbh began when he was young — not just with its spiritual significance but with the human drama that unfolded there. The ash-smeared Naga sadhus, the ocean of saffron, the thunderous chants, and the radiance on the faces of devotees taking a holy dip at the Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati converge — these images stayed with him across continents and decades.

Life took him from India to the Philippines, to the Middle East, and ultimately to New York. Yet the Maha Kumbh remained bookmarked in his heart — a rite of passage waiting to unfold.

So when the opportunity arose, he didn’t hesitate.

Little did he know he was stepping into an event so rare that no human alive today has ever witnessed it before, and none who participated might live to see the next.

A City of Tents, a Universe of Faith

Prayagraj had transformed into an otherworldly landscape — over 1,50,000 tents stretching endlessly to house the ceaseless flow of humanity. From global personalities like Laurene Powell Jobs, Chris Martin, and Dakota Johnson, to India’s political, cultural, and spiritual stalwarts including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Maha Kumbh attracted seekers from every corner of the earth.

And yet, amid these towering names, the overwhelming emotion was humility.

As Mathew recalls, the scenes that had lived in his memory since childhood suddenly breathed in front of him — real, immense, electric. The experience left him with an undeniable truth:

We are all, ultimately, tiny specks of dust on the soap bubble of the universe.

The realization did not diminish life; it clarified it. It grounded him in the understanding that the universe is far more expansive than our daily worries, ambitions, or illusions.

A Convergence of Science, Spirit, and Human History

One of the most awe-inspiring revelations for Mathew was the astronomical brilliance behind the event. The cycles of the Kumbh — anchored in precise planetary alignments — were calculated thousands of years ago with an accuracy that continues to astonish.

The Maha Kumbh, therefore, is not only a spiritual milestone but a testament to India’s scientific heritage, its cultural continuity, and the resilience of a tradition that has survived millennia.

Energy Beyond Imagination

Nothing could prepare him for the force of the gathering itself — millions moving with a shared intention, their collective faith weaving an invisible energy field that was almost tangible. Ascetics, families, wanderers, scholars, tourists, and seekers — all walked the same dust, breathed the same air, and dipped into the same holy waters.

In that moment, distinctions dissolved.

There was only oneness.

And Mathew felt it deeply — the smallness of self, and the expansiveness of the universe.

A Reminder We All Need

The Maha Kumbh is more than an event; it is a living mirror that humbles, awakens, and expands the soul.

As Mathew reflects in Seeking the Infinite, the experience served as a powerful reminder that life is vast, time is fleeting, and we are each just one breath in the grand rhythm of creation.

Perhaps that is why millions gather — to remember their place in the infinite.