This year marks the Maha Kumbh Mela, an event that takes place once every 144 years, a profound convergence of devotion, spirituality, and tradition. For the first time in history, the Indian government is using AI to assist in organizing this monumental gathering. It’s fascinating to witness how ancient traditions intersect with modern technology, creating a beautiful blend of the past and the future.

Friends who’ve known me and my dedication to yoga for years have been asking, “Will you be attending?” And while I deeply admire the significance of this event, the answer is no.

I could barely handle the crowds at a music festival, let alone millions at the Kumbh Mela! Instead, I’ll celebrate this sacred occasion differently, through personal inner practices. To me, the essence of the Kumbh Mela isn’t just in the physical pilgrimage but in cultivating mindful awareness and connecting deeply with the source within.

In many ways, my life over the past two years resembles this year’s Kumbh Mela, a unique convergence of events, meant to lead you somewhere else. Take this AI image, for example, one I entitled “The Mindful Freediver”. It was one of my first serious experiments with AI and the piece that ignited my passion for generative art two years.

It symbolizes the inner journey, a dive, not into crowded oceans but into the still waters of the mind. Back then, I even wrote a manifesto about it, not knowing that life would soon take me to the mountains of the Himalayas, leading me away from the ocean and freediving, but exactly where I was meant to be.

Here I am, with my inner practices, my creative exploration, and my passion for AI aligning with the Maha Kumbh Mela of a lifetime. One I intend to honor in my own way.