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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline NOVEMBER 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 30

SEEKING THE INFINITE

Yakub Mathew’s Spiritual Chronicle Ignites

IAAC Literary Festival in New York

OUR BUREAU House Rabbi at All Faiths Seminary into the very essence — Mahima — rience. His pilgrimage to the Maha
International; spiritual teacher Gu- of the Maha Kumbh.” Kumbh Mela in January 2025 —
New York, NY:
rudev Sri Anish; and the Very Rev. Under Seth’s guidance, the pan- commemorating a rare once-in-144-
he Indo-American Arts Coun- Winnie Varghese, Dean of the Ca- el ventured into a debate as old as years Maha Kumbh — became the
cil’s Literary Festival became a thedral of St. John the Divine. Their philosophy itself. “If you were given catalyst for the book. “Joined by my
Tcrucible of spiritual reflection exchange was spirited yet grounded a choice,” Seth asked, “would you wife and seventeen dear friends, the
and interfaith dialogue on November in humility, echoing the book’s call want the person to be religious or experience became a profound cel-
16 as the highly anticipated launch of for curiosity and compassion across spiritual? You can only choose one.” ebration of my 60th year,” Mathew
Seeking the Infinite: Maha Kumbh faith traditions. What followed was a tapestry of per- said. “It inspired deep reflection on
2025 drew more than 600 attendees Mathew’s Seeking the Infinite is spectives that reflected the plural life’s eternal questions.”
to the International House in New less a book and more a living docu- spirit of the festival. The book carries blessings from
York City. The debut work by Yakub ment of spiritual encounters. Blend- Rabbi Matous explained how ac- globally revered spiritual leaders
Mathew — a finance leader turned ing essays, dialogues, and personal tion anchors faith: “When I give char- including the Dalai Lama, Sadhgu-
author — transformed Davis Hall reflections, it traces the author’s ity before I pray, when I share love ru, Maharaj Avadheshanand Giri Ji,
into a space where seekers, schol- journey from the sacred banks of the with a stranger — I’m connecting Cardinal Oswald Gracias, and Ma-
ars, and skeptics could examine the Ganga to rooftop conversations with to God, because we are considered haraj Radhanath Swami Ji. Their
universal human search for meaning fellow pilgrims. It reframes the Maha b’tzelem Elohim, the image of God.” endorsements reflect the book’s in-
through the lens of India’s legendary Kumbh Mela — often described as Gurudev Sri Anish emphasized terfaith ethos — its belief that at the
Maha Kumbh Mela. the world’s largest gathering of hu- inquiry as the foundation of growth: heart of every faith lies a shared hu-
The unveiling of the book was manity — not as spectacle, but as a “Any system that kills the spirit of man longing for the sacred.
marked by a moment of symbolism crucible where “human yearning for asking questions doesn’t work. If “What began as a way to capture
and spiritual resonance when Sadh- meaning, belonging, and transcen- your version of religion helps you our memories soon evolved into this
guru released the first copy before an dence reveals itself in countless ways.” transform, your version of religion book,” Mathew said, “enriched by
audience that filled every seat. The Professor Diana Eck praised is working.” insights from over fifty renowned
launch set the stage for a lively panel the book’s multivocality, noting that Rev. Varghese added that while personalities. The Maha Kumbh re-
discussion moderated by well-known it “brings together your own sense religion has historically been used as minded us that beyond faith and cul-
branding consultant Suhel Seth, of the importance of attenuating a tool of control, its origins remain ture lies a shared divine essence.”
whose probing questions sparked the differences between religions to hopeful. “I’m trying to say something Seeking the Infinite stands as
a cross-cultural conversation about a real interfaith vision.” The anthol- true about human experience,” she both a chronicle and an invitation. It
spirituality, ritual, and the modern ogy incorporates reflections from said, echoing the book’s call for in- asks readers to look within, across,
human condition. more than fifty contributors, with tellectual honesty. and beyond — to recognise that the
The panel brought together a foreword jointly penned by Dr. Known globally for his work sacred is not a destination, but a
some of the most accomplished voic- Shashi Tharoor, Muzaffar Ali, and with HSBC, Citi Private Banking, discovery. As Mathew writes, “The
es in global interfaith scholarship: Anupam Kher. Tharoor wrote: “This and Wells Fargo Advisors, Yakub Infinite is not a place to reach, but a
Harvard scholar Diana Eck; Rabbi coffee-table book is more than a col- Mathew brings to his writing a deep truth to remember — that within you
Scott Matous, President and In- lection of photographs; it is a window appreciation for cross-cultural expe- lies a horizon without end.”

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