Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who is on a visit to India has been given the Hindu name ‘Kamala’ by the Niranjani Akhara, a respected spiritual organization. The 61-year-old American philanthropist is currently in India for the Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj and recently visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

At the temple, Laurene Powell Jobs paid homage to Baba Kashi Vishwanath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, and performed a ‘jalabhishek’ ceremony, offering water to the deity while praying for the smooth conduct of the Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13. She wore a pink suit and a white dupatta wrapped around her head, and her visit was accompanied by a heavy security presence.

Over the next three weeks, Powell Jobs will listen to the teachings of Kailashanand Giri Maharaj from the Niranjani Akhara and participate in the practice of ‘Kalpavas’ for 10 days. During this period, she will take a daily dip in a sacred river at dawn, meditate, chant mantras, and read scriptures. She will follow a strict vegetarian diet, abstaining from onions, garlic, and rich spices, and fast in observance of spiritual discipline.

In addition to these practices, she will sleep on the ground, maintain a simple lifestyle, and plant a tulsi (holy basil) plant. She will also prepare her own food or eat meals prepared by fellow devotees, refraining from wearing gold, and will avoid consuming sweets or fruits.

The Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest religious gathering, will run from January 13 to February 26, 2025, and is expected to draw over 1.5 million international visitors, according to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.