Steve Jobs expressed wish for visiting Mahkumbh in a letter 51 years ago, auctioned for Rs 4.32 crore, he wrote...

The Mahakumbh mela is not only an attraction for millions of common people but it has been a prominent attraction for notable figures. This year the wife of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs, visited the Mahakumbh. However, her visit was not a devotional one, but one to fulfill his late husband’s wish who expressed his interest in the spiritual event to his friend Tim Brown.  

A rare, handwritten letter, in 1974, by Steve Jobs has sold at auction for a staggering $500,312.50 (₹4.32 crore). Penned on his 19th birthday, February 23, the letter reveals Jobs' spiritual and poetic side, discussing Zen Buddhism and his desire to visit India and experience the sacred Kumbh Mela festival. Addressed to his childhood friend Tim Brown, this letter offers a unique glimpse into Jobs' thoughts two years before co-founding Apple along with Steve Woznaik. 

In the letter, a contemplative Steve Jobs responds to his friend Tim Brown, mentioning that he's been overcome with emotion, having "cried many times". He expresses his desire to attend the Kumbh Mela in India, planning to leave in March. The letter reveals Jobs' deepening interest in Hinduism, as he signs off with a peaceful "Shanti, Steve Jobs". 

He wrote, "tim i have read your letter many times / i do not know what to say. many mornings have come and gone / people have came and went / i have loved and i have cried many times. / somehow, though, beneath it all it doesn't change - do you understa understand? i am now living on a farm in the mountains between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. i wish to go to india for the Kumba Mela, which starts in April. i will be leaving sometime in March, not really certain yet. if you desire, and i am still here when you arive, we can come up here in the mountains together and you can tell me your thoughts and feelings, which I did not fully understand from your letter. There is a fire in the other room and i am getting cold here. i will end by saying i do not even know where to begin. / shanti / steve jobs."

Laurene, who has been bestowed the Hindu name "Kamala" by her spiritual guru, Swami Kailashanand Giri, arrived in Prayagraj with a 40-member entourage. She immersed herself in various spiritual disciplines, including meditation, Kriya Yoga, and Pranayama. Kamala's presence at the Mahakumbh underscores her profound reverence for Indian heritage and her continued pursuit of spiritual growth.