Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Widow of Steve Jobs to take a holy dip

New Delhi: Laurene Powell Jobs will participate in the forthcoming Maha Kumbh 2025 in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

According to reports, She will arrive on January 13, 2025, and stay until January 29 at the camp of Swami Kailashananda, the Mahamandaleshwar of the Niranjani Akhara. 
During her stay, she is expected to take a holy dip in the Ganga river which is believed to cleanse sins and facilitate spiritual growth.

She will attend sermons, and also listen to discourses from saints, such as bhajans and kirtans. She lives an austere life, focusing on meditation, yoga, and self-reflection, often with limited food intake and simple living conditions.

Kalpvas is a tradition deeply rooted in Hindu spirituality, mentioned in ancient texts like the Mahabharata and Ramcharitmanas. 

It is a month-long period of austerity, where participants, known as Kalpvasis, dedicate themselves to spiritual purification. From Paush Purnima (the full moon day in January) to Maghi Purnima (the full moon in February), Kalpvasis live in temporary shelters by the Sangam, renouncing modern comforts.

Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple, also visited India in the mid-1970s. During a period of personal and professional uncertainty, he traveled to Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram in Kainchi, Uttarakhand, seeking spiritual enlightenment. 

Although Neem Karoli Baba had passed away in 1973, Jobs spent time at the ashram, an experience that profoundly impacted him. He later attributed his vision of simplicity and focus — core principles of Apple's design philosophy — to this spiritual journey. 

He also recommended the ashram to his friends, including Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. The widow of Steve Jobs is now carrying forward his spiritual legacy.