With the Maha Kumbh Mela drawing to a close on Wednesday, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani expressed his gratitude for being able to serve lakhs of devotees at the religious gathering and recalled a special experience he had there.

Before the Maha Kumbh began, the billionaire had met the trustees and officials of the iconic Gita Press on Friday and vowed to present the ‘Aarti Sangrah’ (compilation of hymns) to 1 crore devotees heading to the Sangam in Prayagraj for the holy dip.

Recalling his Prayagraj visit on 21 January, Mr Adani wrote about an experience that had moved him.  

“I still remember that emotional moment when I was distributing ‘Aarti Sangrah’ in the camp of Gita Press near Lete Hanuman Temple in Prayagraj. An old lady, about 80 years of age, came to me through the crowd and blessed me by placing her hand on my head. What I felt at that moment was beyond words – a deep spiritual touch, which I will cherish throughout my life,” the industrialist wrote in the country’s largest Hindi daily.

“For me, service is not just an action, but a prayer resonating in my heart – a prayer that always keeps me grounded in humility and dedication,” he wrote.

The Adani Group had also joined hands with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to serve meals among devotees at the Maha Kumbh Mela and organised free golf cart services for the elderly, women and children.

During his visit to the Maha Kumbh with his family, Mr Adani had distributed Mahaprasad and the ‘Aarti Sangrah’ among devotees.

The Adani Group also came up with a special initiative for its employees to enable them to serve devotees at the gathering. 

“We gave them the option to apply online if they wanted to volunteer at the Maha Kumbh. Within a few hours, thousands of members applied for this cause. More than 5,000 members of the Adani family took the pledge to serve at the Maha Kumbh,” Mr Adani wrote. 

“I believe that service is the best way to realise God… We consider ourselves blessed because we could serve lakhs of devotees,” he said.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)