New Delhi: The Mahakumbh Mela 2025, which is being held in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26, is witnessing the visit of some unique monks and saints with interesting life stories. One of them is Vyasanand Giri, whose journey to become a monk is bound to stun anyone. In this article, we will take a look at the life of Vyasanand Giri and why he has become a popular attraction in the Mahakumbh Mela.
Vyasanand Giri: The monk who abandoned his job in IT sector
If anyone sees Vyasanand Giri, then the monk will come across as just another ‘Mahamandaleshwar’ of the 13 akharas at the Mahakumbh. He has a calm demeanor and roames around in saffron robes and a smile on his face. He was initiated as ‘Mahamandaleshwar’ in Niranjani Akhara and one can find him there.
However, he is not just any other monk. His father was a top commander at the US Army. According to a PTI report, while Vyasanand Giri did not take any question on this subject, it was confirmed by Shri Niranjani Mahant Ravindra Puri, the president of the Panchayati Akhara. Mahant Puri told PTI that the original name of Vyasanand Giri is Tom and he had a plush job in the IT sector. But he decided to abandon materialistic life after being driven by spirituality. He took sanyas and started to do meditation and yoga. Also, he researched a lot on Sanatani culture and Hinduism. He visited the holy site of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and met Puri.
On January 12, 2025, after a spiritual ceremony, Tom got a new name, Vyasanand Giri and he was anointed as Mahamandaleshwar. Puri said that a person who is appointed as a Mahamandaleshwar has an awakened soul, mastered meditation and yoga and learned how to control the senses. He added that there is no such thing that foreigners cannot be made priests and many of them are even better than many of us. While there are many Indians who get distracted during meditation, Tom can meditate for long hours.
Puri said that since the 2019 Kumbh Mela in Puri, they have made 30 Mahamandaleshwars and Tom is one of the five to six foreigners who belong to countries like the US, Malaysia and Scandinavia. He asserted that many foreigners are inspired by Hinduism and even Muslims approach him to become sanyasi, as per the PTI report.
The Mahakumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj features Vyasanand Giri, a unique monk and former IT professional. Son of a US Army commander, Vyasanand Giri, formerly Tom, abandoned a successful career to embrace spirituality. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
