Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj: Meet 'IITian Baba' Abhay Singh who left aerospace engineering to take the path of spirituality 

Thousands of pilgrims from across the globe, including Hindu seers, have assembled in the holy Uttar Pradesh city for the grand event with millions braving the winter chill to dip in the chilling water of the 'Triveni Sangam' in their bid to seek forgiveness for their sins.

One of the Hindu 'sanyasi' gained the attention of the media who was identified as Baba Abhay Singh, a Haryana-born IIT graduate, who studied aerospace engineering but later decided to move to the path of spirituality.

Abhay Singh aka Masani Gorakh, also known as IITian Baba, revealed that in his career he earned a Masters in Design and worked in photography besides teaching physics to students, before shifting to the world of spirituality.

Speaking to News 18, the IIT Bombay graduate said he delved into philosophical concepts like post-Modernism, Socrates and Plato – to “understand the meaning of life".

He told the news channel: "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 said he hardly cares what people think about his news career path.

Meanwhile, thousands of pilgrims took the holy dip in the chilling water at the confluence of the three rivers- the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

Over the next six weeks starting from April 13, a whopping 400 million people are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela, or the festival of the Sacred Pitcher.