Only a movie star or a global guru can dream of such a book launch. Yakub Mathew is a banker, yet his debut book, ‘Seeking the Infinite: Maha Kumbh 2025’, was unveiled last month in New York by Sadhguru, a world-renowned spiritual master, and applauded by an elite audience of over six hundred. The reason for such a grand reception? The anthology’s multifaith content and message of harmony.
In popular imagination, the periodic Kumbh Mela is a major Hindu pilgrimage. But early this year, the 45-day Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj (earlier Allahabad) in north India was a once-in-144-years congregation of a record 660 million people from all walks of life and religious beliefs. Yakub Mathew, a Syrian Christian with roots in the south Indian state of Kerala, was inspired to travel there in January from New York with his wife and a motley group of friends from around the world.
What began as a way for them to capture memories evolved into ‘Seeking the Infinite’. Yakub and his group found themselves confronted by life’s most elemental questions: Who am I? What is the nature of consciousness? What is the purpose of existence? Writes Yakub, “As we dug deeper, we realized that the story of the Maha Kumbh ties all our existential questions together and gave us, the seekers of the truth, an occasion and an opportunity to look harder for the answers that have eluded humankind since time immemorial.”
The result is a volume that beautifully juxtaposes the ephemeral nature of Kumbh’s temporary city with the enduring truth of the infinite that it represents. Spread after spread of stunning photographs adds to the coffee table book’s visual appeal.
Multifaith voices from a broad spectrum
Since the search for the divine is a universal experience, Yakub enriched his personal narrative with insights from renowned people from across religious and spiritual traditions. Through its essays, dialogues, and interfaith encounters, the contemplative anthology offers a meditative lens on India’s spiritual heartbeat and the global soul it awakens.
Contributors to the book span diverse fields—from spiritual masters such as Maharaj Radhanath Swami Ji (ISKCON leader in Mumbai of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage), to diplomats and politicians such as Shashi Tharoor (Indian MP and former UN Under Secretary-General), and religious figures from various denominations, including Cardinal Oswald Gracias (Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay), and Haji Syed Salman Chishty (helm of the Dargah Ajmer Sharif). Each offers a unique reflection on the nature of the infinite and on the shared truth underlying belief systems.
This well-thought-out inclusion of multi-faith and cross-cultural voices elevates the book beyond Hinduism’s spiritual heritage, transforming it into a powerful testament to interfaith harmony.
The book launch at the prestigious International House in Manhattan drew seekers, scholars, and movers and shakers from the US, India, and other countries. It offered a profound exploration of faith, transcendence, and the enduring spiritual energy that characterized India’s Maha Kumbh Mela.
Inspired by the coffee table book’s unusual treatment of the Maha Kumbh 2025, which carries reflections from 55 spiritual and thought leaders from around the world, the launch, as part of the IAAC (Indo-American Arts Council) Literary Festival, was followed by a panel discussion on the intersection of faith, religion, and spirituality.
Religion vs Spirituality panel discussion
Moderated with some irreverence by the Indian marketing genius Suhel Seth, the esteemed panel comprised, besides Yakub Mathew, Diana Eck – founder of The Pluralism Project at Harvard; the Very Rev. Winnie Varghese – Dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC; Rabbi Scott Matous – Executive Director at the MAKOR Center for Judaism in New York; and Gurudev Sri Anish from Dharamsala in India.
The take-off point for the panel was Yakub’s aptly titled book, ‘Seeking the Infinite’, which takes readers from the riverside rituals of the Maha Kumbh to intimate rooftop conversations, encouraging a shift in perspective, from viewing the sea of humanity as mere spectacle to seeing it as a “crucible of human yearning—for meaning, belonging, and transcendence.”
The thought-provoking discussion was conducted in the spirit of honest inquiry and resonant interfaith dialogue. Rev. Winnie Varghese, while agreeing that religion gets misused as a tool of social control and generates violence, said, “It comes from a very pure place.” Sri Anish sought to resolve the religion-vs-spirituality question, “If your version of religion or truth makes you transformational… it is working.”
Reflecting on his personal pilgrimage, Yakub shared, “In January 2025, I fulfilled a lifelong dream by embarking on a pilgrimage to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh, where the sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati meet. Joined by my wife, Shilpa, and 17 dear friends, the experience became a profound celebration of the completion of my 60th year and a spiritual journey that inspired deep reflection on life’s eternal questions.”
Going beyond the religion vs. spirituality debate, Yakub said his model is Mother Teresa, whom he knew growing up in Calcutta. She devoted herself to serving humanity and famously said, “Love, love, love until it hurts.”
Banker-turned-accidental author
Yakub Mathew, known globally for his financial leadership at institutions such as HSBC, Citi Private Banking, and currently as Managing Director at Wells Fargo Advisors – New York, told the audience that he will be introducing the Maha Kumbh book in the coming months at Jaipur Literature Festival, the Vatican, in Dubai and London, and finally at the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC.
After the event concluded, I was amazed to see a long line form in the foyer waiting for him to sign copies of his book. The copies his team had brought along soon ran out.
Yakub told me that he is an accidental author, and it is only the grace of God that made ‘Seeking the Infinite’ see the light of day, that too in just seven months after the mega event ended in February.
He is particularly moved by the Dalai Lama personally blessing the book, which highlights its universal appeal and spiritual gravitas. Sri Anish presented a copy of the book to His Holiness at his abode in McLeod Ganj in late October.
What Yakub wants to convey through his first book is that “The Infinite is not a place to reach. But a truth to remember—that within you lies a horizon without end.”
That note is for individual souls. Collectively, the book’s message of coexistence and shared spirituality is particularly relevant in today’s fractured world.
To find out more about the book and how to buy it, go to www.seekingtheinfinite.org
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