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On March 25, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organized a talk on Kumbh Mela from a National and Geopolitical Perspective by Shri Swaminathan Gurumurthy, Chairman, VIF. He is a renowned Indian writer, journalist, and public intellectual celebrated for his fearless investigative journalism and sharp economic insights. A chartered accountant by profession, Shri S. Gurumurthy has also been a corporate advisor, visiting faculty at IIT Bombay, and distinguished professor at Sastra University.

Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF, delivered the opening remarks in which he reflected on his own experience of Kumbh. Dr. Gupta shared his awe at the sheer number and diversity of people present — millions from every walk of life, united by devotion, quietly enduring long journeys and crowded conditions without complaint. There was a peaceful determination on every face, a testament to the deeper force of faith — that brought over 600 million people to one sacred place over a few short weeks. This Kumbh Mela stands apart, held during a rare planetary conjunction occurring once in 144 years. Dr. Gupta recounted interactions with foreign diplomats who were stunned by the scale of the event, noting in particular a remark from the Norwegian ambassador that the daily attendance surpassed their nation’s entire population. He highlighted the inspiring stories of simplicity and moral integrity witnessed at the Kumbh, calling it a reflection of India’s spiritual depth.

Shri S. Gurumurthy began his address by expressing that the experience and ecosystem of the Kumbh Mela had left a lasting impression on him—an overwhelming spiritual and civilizational impact that continues to resonate. His proposal to explore the “National and Geopolitical Perspectives of the Kumbh” had initially been met with uncertainty, particularly regarding the inclusion of the term geopolitical. While the national relevance of the Kumbh might be more readily accepted, the geopolitical dimension seemed unconventional.

Shri Gurumurthy explained that the framing of the topic was an intentional challenge—one aimed at broadening how such a profound Indian phenomenon could be interpreted by strategic thinkers. Whether the idea was to brand India through the Kumbh—as a soft power showcase or a global tourism draw—Shri Gurumurthy firmly rejected such superficial interpretations. What he experienced at the Kumbh, he emphasized, was far deeper. It was not tourism. It was not optics. It was civilizational. The Kumbh, he said, cannot be reduced to a visual marvel or logistical achievement—though it is both. It must be understood as a manifestation of India's spiritual and civilizational core. Despite lacking hotel infrastructure or modern conveniences, the Kumbh fed and sheltered millions. Its seamless functioning reflected a powerful self-organized ecosystem that defies conventional explanation and demands study. He invoked Vedic philosophy, reminding the audience that true understanding comes not from observing the Kumbh as an outsider but from immersing oneself in it.

Shri Gurumurthy shared that his own intellectual and spiritual journey—from chartered accountant to journalist and political thinker—was shaped by such immersive experiences. A major turning point came in 1992, when the tide of globalization forced him to confront and rethink foundational ideas. Influenced by Gandhiji and his critique of Westernization, Shri Gurumurthy spent two years travelling across India, exploring its businesses, society, and traditions. This journey overturned his previous understanding of economics and revealed the depth and resilience of India’s living civilization.

Shri Gurumurthy pointed out that while ancient civilizations like Rome and Egypt are now relics, India’s traditions continue to live, breathe, and evolve. Nowhere is this more visible than at the Kumbh. The unbroken phonetic tradition of the Vedas, maintained for over 5,000 years in South India, is just one example of this living continuity. The true spirit of the Kumbh, according to him, was captured not in the scale of the crowd but in the devotion of the people. Pilgrims arrived with no certainty of shelter or food yet were sustained by a collective will and invisible ecosystem. This, he emphasized, was not the doing of governments or institutions alone—it was a manifestation of civilizational consciousness. The saints and seers present were not media figures but deeply realized beings who lent spiritual depth to the gathering.

Shri Gurumurthy shared how his visit to the sacred gathering profoundly altered his understanding of Indian civilization. What he witnessed was far more than a religious congregation; it was a transformative civilizational experience. As he moved through the throngs of devotees, he encountered people from across the country, each immersed in deep personal devotion. One memorable moment was his meeting with a group of Tamil-speaking ascetics worshipping clay Shivalinga on the eve of Mahashivaratri. These ascetics, part of a unique Shaiva tradition, spent their days in uninterrupted chanting of Shiva's name, their only goal being union with the divine. Their simplicity and spiritual intensity left a lasting impression.

Equally striking was his interaction with a Naga Sadhu—a naked, muscular ascetic who, contrary to outward appearance, spoke with scholarly depth, quoting the Vedas and Upanishads with precision. The Sadhu explained the structure of the Naga tradition, noting that while nearly 10 lakh Nagas exist today, only about 10% live in the traditional naked form. The rest serve society as temple priests and caretakers, though all undergo the same rigorous training.

What stood out was the Sadhu’s declaration: “We Nagas are here to protect Dharma and this nation. Just as the army takes an oath to defend the country, so do we.” Gurumurthy contrasted this profound sense of duty with the shallow, exoticized portrayal of Nagas in mainstream media, which often reduces them to curiosities. In truth, he argued, they are disciplined spiritual warriors who live by higher principles.

Shri Gurumurthy emphasized that the Nagas are the true spiritual vanguards of the Kumbh. Leading every shahi snan, they hold a central, yet often overlooked, role in the festival. Tragically, they remain absent from school textbooks and historical narratives. Shri Gurumurthy recounted a critical episode from history—during Emperor Akbar’s reign, when Hindu saints were under threat. Swami Madhusudana Saraswati, a key figure in Vedanta, approached Akbar through Birbal. Though Akbar admitted his inability to curb the violence, he permitted self-defence. This led to the martial organization of the Nagas, turning them into the protectors of Dharma—drawing even those from marginalized communities into their fold. Many of the Tamil Nagas present at the Kumbh today trace their lineage back to this very movement. Their history, recorded by scholars such as Swami Gambhirananda of the Ramakrishna Mission, remains neglected by academia and media alike.

Shri Gurumurthy warned against reducing the Kumbh to optics or spectacle. Its true essence lies in awakening—a civilizational awakening that challenges modern India to reconnect with its soul. The Nagas are at the heart of that process. To overlook them is to ignore a vital part of India’s living spiritual heritage.
Shri Gurumurthy challenges a long-standing colonial myth—that the British made India a nation through railways, postal systems, and administrative reforms. This narrative, once widely accepted even by Indians, suggested that India was a fragmented land until unified by colonial governance. However, as Mahatma Gandhi himself asserted, the British did not unify India; rather, they taught Indians to believe they were not one people and that nationhood was centuries away. Gandhiji disagreed with the idea that infrastructure could manufacture a nation. Instead, he pointed to India’s pre-existing unity—anchored not in politics, but in civilizational continuity.

Shri Gurumurthy echoed this sentiment, stating that the very success of the British Empire in establishing a single dominion over India was possible only because India already functioned as a single civilizational entity. The profound foresight of India’s ancient sages is evident in the geography of pilgrimage—Rameswaram in the South, Jagannath in the East, Dwarka in the West, and Badrinath in the North. These were not arbitrary shrines but strategic civilizational nodes meant to embed a sacred geography into the Indian psyche. They inspired mobility, devotion, and collective identity that transcended regional or linguistic boundaries.

This living unity was witnessed vividly at the Kumbh Mela. At the event, Shri Gurumurthy observed millions of pilgrims from across India—Rajasthan, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh—journeying with joy, devotion, and shared purpose. In the corridor where he stayed, 30–40 families slept peacefully side by side, reflecting the spirit of trust and community that pervades the Kumbh.

Despite the myriad religious paths represented at the gathering, there was no contest or hierarchy—only coexistence. Thousands of sects, each with their own rituals and expressions, came together without conflict. This absence of religious one-upmanship, as Shri Gurumurthy notes, is rare globally. He quoted Swami Vivekananda’s observation that in some religions, the conversation begins with, “Is your God better than mine?” But at the Kumbh, harmony prevails. This is not merely tolerance—it is a deep civilizational embrace of diversity.

Shri Gurumurthy further emphasized that the Kumbh carries a geopolitical message with global relevance, especially when contrasted with the growing identity crisis in the West. In particular, he highlighted the demographic transformation in the United States. In 1960, America was 87.5% non-Hispanic white; today that number has fallen to 58%, and by 2050 it is projected to fall below 47%. This rapid shift is triggering cultural and political fragmentation.

While America once promoted the idea that nationhood could rest on legal frameworks, human rights, and individualism, it is now facing the limitations of that model. A 2020 Pew Research Center study pointed out that race, religion, and ideology have collapsed into rigid partisan identities, making it increasingly difficult to find national cohesion. Unlike India, America lacks sacred geography, shared saints, or a cultural canon that binds its people spiritually. As Time magazine noted, America has only three canonized saints compared to Italy’s over 40,000.

These missing civilizational anchors are contributing to social fractures. Political polarization has reached a point where support for secession is rising on both ends of the ideological spectrum. The U.S. military have even expressed concerns about the possibility of a civil war, with former generals warning that fact ions within the armed forces could be drawn into internal conflict.

Shri Gurumurthy argues that what the West lacks—and what the Kumbh symbolizes—is civilizational glue. Constitutions can govern, but they cannot unite. Police can enforce order, but not shared belonging. Without an underlying cultural identity, political structures collapse. This is where India’s model of unity, as manifested at the Kumbh, becomes geopolitically significant.

Unlike the Western nation-states, which arose out of war, conquest, and political pacts, India’s unity is civilizational and organic. As historian Eric Hobsbawm stated, “Nations are formed not by people, but by power.” In India’s case, unity predates political organization. Two thousand years ago, Indian texts described the subcontinent as a sacred land between the Himalayas and the oceans, inhabited by people who believed in karma and rebirth—Bharatvasis.
This identity is not colonial—it is indigenous. Whether in Madurai or Haridwar, the collective sacredness felt during events like the Kumbh reveals a civilizational identity that transcends caste, region, or sect. As Marxist historian D. D. Kosambi noted, collective religious action in India can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization. This ancient continuity defies modern reductionism.

However, modern observers often miss the essence. They see only the chaos—the dust, the crowds, the noise—without recognizing the underlying order, the spiritual depth, the civilizational resonance. Shri Gurumurthy asserts that the Kumbh is not a spectacle; it is a living embodiment of India’s civilizational soul. Its message is clear: a sacred consciousness, not administrative enforcement, is what binds a nation.

The world, currently adrift in identity crises and cultural fragmentation, would do well to study this model. The Kumbh offers a vision of unity rooted in spiritual commonality, not political arrangement—a message that is not only national but profoundly geopolitical. The session was then open for discussion, followed by closing remarks by Dr Arvind Gupta.