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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                            FEBRUARY 06, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 32

                                                                BOOK REVIEW

                                                 MAHAKUMBH:

               A Mighty Event, A Mighty Book

               “Mega events such as the Mahakumbh… bring upon us the realization that humankind has one unifying
                    divine core,” writes Yakub Mathew in his recently released coffee table book, ‘Seeking the Infinite’.

                                                                                                                  ly averring the human soul as the ulti-
                                                                                                                  mate anthem of mystery. The overlap-
                                                                                                                  ping waters of three rivers continue to
                                                                                                                  transfer to the pages of this book ask-
                                                                                                                  ing for awakening from narrow and
                                                                                                                  bigoted definitions of religion.
                                                                                                                     Yakub Mathew states his vision
                                                                                                                  early on casting the Mahakumbh as an
                                                                                                                  inter-national heritage not constrained
                                                                                                                  by geographical borders. Though he
                     BY USHA AKELLA                                                                               describes himself as an accidental au-
                                                                                                                  thor, Mathew is not an accidental seek-
               n our times, wherein one feels                                                                     er. The journey undertaken by a Syr-
               pressured to cast her/his lot with                                                                 ian Christian New York-based banker
            ILeft or Right—and other frac-                                                                        with his beloved wife, and a bevy of 18
            tured polarities—and be damned                                                                        friends to celebrate his 60th birthday
            either way, a bold book arrived shin-                                                                 and life after a dire illness has spawned
            ing and fearless at the IAAC ((In-                                                                    what will be an everlasting tribute to
            do-American Arts Council)) Literary                                                                   the Mahakumbh. That he sought such
            Fest 2025 last November to announce                                                                   an experience to define a rite of pas-
            the possibilities of reconciliation—                                                                  sage in human life is an indicator of the
            and harmony. A mighty event rooted                                                                    predilections of his soul.
            in a myth of nectar, and a mighty book                                                                 Yakub has straddled temporal
            exploring the infinite, no less—Seek-                                                                       and spiritual worlds
            ing  the  Infinite  redefines  the  Maha-
            kumbh as one of humanity’s heritages,   Mahakumbh book release by Sadhguru at IAAC Literary Festival - author Yakub Mathew (left),   aised by a mother widowed
            not solely Indian or Hindu.               and Suhel Seth who mdoerated the panel discussion at the book launch.  young in Delhi, his childhood
                The book draws our attention to                                                                   Ris reminiscent with interac-
            water as a fundamental metaphor of                                                                    tions and mentorship by Mother Te-
            purification, unity, and surrender. In   The three rivers whose waters be-  impeccable standards of production   resa and His Holiness Bishop Paulos
            its pages the Mahakumbh is recog-  come a single stream are read symbol-  and embark on an archaeology of   Gregorios.  Perhaps  the  first  seeds
            nized as a clarion call from India of the   ically in various fashions but mostly as   semantics of the event. Turning the   of faith were laid at this time. Also,
            truth of one ultimate religion—hu-  an emblem of unity. That one of these   pages of this book feels like mimick-  raised by uncles (P.C. Alexander and
            manity. As a reader you can position   rivers is mythical (Saraswati) does not   ing the journey, by entering the pre-  P.M. Thomas) who were public ser-
            yourself on the shore of this book, and   hamper  faith.  And  that  a  gathering   liminary waters of the first chapter of   vants brought Yakub into the ken of
            marvel at the timeless ripples of faith   of such staggering numbers rolled off  ‘Blessings’ by a mystic, Hindu yogis   the political and powerful—thus the
            ignited by hope for a healed world.  peacefully, across nearly two months,  and  a  Cardinal  (Sadhguru,  Swami   two worlds of temporal and spiritual
             Immortalizing the Mahakumbh      is a miracle. A coffee table book with   Avdeshanand Giri Maharaj, Maharaj   spanned the orb of his growing years.
                       in a book              stunning photographs laid across 246   Radhanath Swami and His Eminence  Yakub Mathew was never to forget
                                              pages and lit by luminous quotes and   Cardinal Oswald Gracias), onward to   that a delicate balance of human and
                   edicated to the journey with-  narratives,  Seeking  the  Infinite  has   deeper waters of musings and explo-  cosmic forces shapes a life. Schooled
                   in’, Yakub Mathew’s book   immortalized the Mahakumbh as     rations.  Finally,  the reader emerges   in St. Xavier’s and St Stephen’s Col-
            Daims to capture the gravitas     never before.                     refreshed by India’s eternal reverber-  lege, a typical brand of Indian Chris-
            of the Mahakumbh—a once in 144        The very dedication states the   ating spiritual current. And is remind-  tianity contoured by an Indian world
            years  riverine  confluence  termed   resolution and celebration of para-  ed of a tenacious civilization that has   view shaped his humanist values, and
            Triveni Sangam (reflected in the skies   doxes—the outward pilgrimage is ver-  neither been afraid to ask the deepest   global perspective. After some world
            by a rare astronomical configuration   itably the turning within to touch an   questions, nor hesitated to attempt to   travels,  he  finally  went  on  to  navi-
            of Jupiter, Sun and Moon/the orbital   ineffable shore we carry in our souls.  answer them. Answers that have buf-  gate his worldly role as a banker in
            revolution of Jupiter around the sun)   The book in its scope, aim and pro-  feted along seemingly contradictory   New York City, abiding also by his
            in Prayagraj that welcomed an esti-  duction is a Mahakumbh of an under-  banks of form and formless, faith and   inner yearnings. A privileged life has
            mated  640  million  devotees  in  2025.  taking unafraid to boldly go toward   agnosticism, ritual and dhyana—final-  Continued on next page... >>

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