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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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