Finding My Religion

Or, thoughts after my visit to Maha Kumbh

Last weekend, I was at Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj with a friend, the world’s biggest religious gathering.

By biggest I mean 400 MILLION PEOPLE—more than the combined population of Russia, Turkey, Germany, and the UK—coming together for a month and a half to take a holy dip at the Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet. (I took a dip at 5 in the morning. It was 8 degrees and freezing—totally worth it!)

The sun was totally on our face, was hard to keep our eyes open. But look at the vast Ganga in the background. You had to be there.

The Kumbh Mela is not just a festival—it’s a legend. Its origin comes from the Samudra Manthan, the ancient Hindu story of gods and demons churning the ocean for Amrit, the nectar of immortality. At some point in the celestial struggle, a few drops spilled from the “kumbh” (pot) onto four places—Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. And so, every 12 years, millions gather at these locations to celebrate.

But Maha Kumbh? That only happens once every 144 years, making this a literal once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Walking through the massive mela (fair), I saw saints, sadhus, tourists, and devotees from all over the world. The air was thick with the sound of chants, rituals, and drumbeats as grand processions of ascetics from different Akhadas (spiritual sects)¹ marched through the crowd.

Some wore saffron, and some—like the Naga Sadhus—wore nothing at all (covering themselves in ash), symbolising renunciation of the material world. But it wasn’t just about religion. There were yoga camps, spiritual discourses, music, food, and a sense of belonging—something bigger than any one person.

Being there rekindled my interest in my own religion. I can’t really say I’m a religious person (though, there was a time back in school when I dabbled in religious studies, but I eventually moved away from it), so this was surprising.

You could say this is just a sign of getting older, but lately, I’ve been struggling with my sense of identity and my place in the world (thoughts shared here and here).

India’s liberal discourse has always focused on being minority-friendly (which is great), but it has often come with an unspoken expectation that the majority should feel a sense of guilt. (In fact, a draft bill in 2011 even operated on the assumption that communal trouble is only created by members of the majority community, never by the minority.) And the distorted narratives of a few right-wing extremists have pushed me even further away from my own faith.

That’s why, recently, I’ve been feeling a bit lost. I couldn’t quite put my finger on this small but persistent void inside me, but after attending the Maha Kumbh last week, things started to become clearer.

In many ways, the mela is a celebration of the Sanatan Dharma (popularly known as Hinduism), the third-largest religion in the world—and it got here without crusades or jihads.

That realisation filled me with a deep sense of pride.

I figured I could use some guidance. I wanted to learn more about it. I’ve tried and read Western philosophy thoroughly, and it has helped. Why not give my own religion’s philosophy a go this time?

I picked up an old book on the teachings and writings of Swami Vivekananda, who was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. He was Bengali, so all Bengali kids grew up reading about him and have always felt a sort of kinship to him.

One of the biggest ideas in Hinduism which I absolutely love is universal tolerance and acceptance.

India has always been a sanctuary for the persecuted. Take the Zoroastrian community for example—hundreds of years ago, they fled Persia (modern-day Iran) to escape religious persecution and found refuge here. The Jewish community, too, has a long history in India, arriving over 2,000 years ago after the destruction of their First Temple.

But here’s where it gets really interesting: Hinduism doesn’t just tolerate other religions; it believes them to be equally true. It sees all religions as different paths to the same truth.

To me, that’s something incredibly relevant in today’s divided world. We’ve somehow convinced ourselves that our way is the only way, but Hinduism seems to say, “Hey, we’re all on the same team.”

What’s fascinating to me, too, is how decentralised this religion is. Unlike religions that have one sacred text, like the Bible or the Quran, Hinduism is a spectrum of beliefs and practices.

There’s Vedanta, which offers deep philosophical insights, but there are also concrete practices like idol worship. And Hinduism doesn’t even require belief in God. Some forms of it even embrace agnosticism (like Buddhism) and atheism (like Jainism).

You can be a Hindu without believing in God at all. To me, that’s mind-blowing. It’s so open, so flexible, and so deeply human.

But here’s where it starts to click for me: Hinduism is not about following rules. It’s about seeking divine revelations found in the Vedas, which are not just books, but eternal spiritual laws.

Think of them like the laws of gravity—whether we know about them or not, they exist. These laws are Sanatan—eternal, without beginning or end.

What really gets me is this idea that the divine isn’t some far-off entity. It’s within us. Our journey isn’t about just believing in divinity, it’s about realising our own divine nature.

And how do you get there? Through dharma—doing what’s right, not because you’ll be rewarded or because you’re afraid of consequences, but simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Dharma isn’t just about fulfilling societal expectations, either. It’s about finding purpose in everything you do, taking responsibility, and aligning your actions with something bigger than yourself, through karma yoga (selfless action), bhakti yoga (devotion), or jnana yoga (knowledge).

In a world that’s constantly pulling you in a million directions, that sense of purpose is grounding.

I don’t know about you, but for me, this feels like the right path—one that’s both grounding and expansive. I’m going to keep reading, keep thinking about it, and hopefully it’ll make sense in ways that help me live more fully, too. I’ll share what I learn. Maybe it’ll do the same for you.

1. The Akhadas are at the heart of Kumbh Mela. These sects of Hindu ascetics—some militant, some meditative—have been around for centuries, preserving and practicing different streams of Hindu philosophy. The Aghor, Bairagi, Juna, and Niranjani Akhadas are some of them, but Kumbh is inclusive in a way that’s rare in religious gatherings.

The Kinnar Akhada—representing the transgender community—has gained recognition, and even the Udasin Akhada (followers of Guru Nanak’s teachings, the founder of Sikhism) participate.

Religion, caste, creed, sect—it doesn’t matter. Everyone is welcome.