Abhay Singh, who changed his name to Masani Gorakh, studied at IIT Bombay for four years and worked in photography, before deciding to become a monk and dedicate his life to Lord Shiva.
On the first day of the religious event, over 1.6 crore devotees participated, making the Maha Kumbh Mela a grand spectacle. The biggest congregation of humanity includes Naga Babas and globally respected religious leaders, yet an “IITian Baba” has stolen the spotlight.
Abhay Singh,, aka Masani Gorakh, also known as IITian Baba, reached the Maha Kumbh in 2025. As soon as the camera caught sight of a young man sitting on a pipe outside a tent, his sparkling
With a calm smile, cheerful demeanour, and powerful wisdom, Masani Gorakh revealed that he had studied aerospace engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. However, he later left the world of science and aerospace and became a monk to understand himself and comprehend the divine.
Abhay Singh changed his name to Masani Gorakh and dedicated his life to Lord Shiva. He also goes by other names, such as Raghav and Jagdish.
He hails from Haryana and studied for four years at IIT Bombay. Later, he switched careers to the “art side” by pursuing a master’s in Design and working in photography. He also coached students in physics.
The IIT Baba also revealed that he took philosophy courses—Post-Modernism, Socrates, and Plato – to “understand the meaning of life.” After unsuccessfully dabbling in several careers, he went home and focused on “basic things.”.
“I now understand that this is real knowledge. If you have to understand the mind or mental health, than you can do it (through spirituality),” he told News18, adding that he does not care what people think of his new ambition. When asked how he reached this stage, Singh said, “This stage is the best stage.”
The interaction with the IITian Baba went viral on social media, with several people praising the young man for pursuing knowledge instead of money online. “Even after knowing the entire universe, the void is the same; that is Shiva, the eternal truth. A living example of this is our IIT Maharaj Ji,” wrote one commenter.
“This person is very good and truthful. He has no greed for anything,” said another netizen. “How many children dream of IIT Mumbai? Baba Ji is amazing; I don’t have any words to express,” another individual wrote.
The Maha Kumbh Mela is one of the most significant religious congregations in India. Held once every four years at one of four locations, it is a cultural extravaganza from January 13 to February 26. This year, seers claim the celestial permutations and combinations for the event are taking place after 144 years. More than 1.65 crore devotees took a holy dip on the first day.
