New Delhi:

Spiritual orator and motivational speaker Jaya Kishori has appealed to the youth to experience the Maha Kumbh at Sangam to “achieve peace, happiness and bliss”. In an exclusive interview with NDTV on the sidelines of Maha Kumbh 2025 in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, Ms Kishori shared her “surreal” experience of taking a dip in the Sangam for the first time. She believes she is “blessed” to do “Amrit Snan”.

Before the Snan (bath), Ms Kishori experienced a mix of nervousness and excitement but tension vanished as soon as she took the dip, she said, and added, “You feel calmness from within. You feel a different kind of energy within you, a positive one, and I think this is what every youth is struggling towards.”

Ms Kishori said that today’s youth want permanent happiness. “What we call in our shastras, anand; not maza or masti, anand. If you want that, please attend these kinds of things … You will find something very different, but a very positive and enriching experience.”

Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest gathering of humanity, began on January 13 and will culminate on February 26. Held once every 12 years, people attend Maha Kumbh to take a dip in the sacred waters, believed to wash away sins and purify the soul. This year, Maha Kumbh is expected to host around 45 crore people over the 45 days celebration.

In October last year, Ms Kishori received huge backlash for carrying a custom Dior “Book Tote” worth over Rs. 2 lakh. Known for her teachings on non-materialism and spiritual growth, Ms Kishori spoke about blending materialism with spirituality and gave an example of Arjuna.

“In Bhagavad Gita, not once Arjuna said that you have to leave everything or you have to leave the kingdom. He was taught to fight and live up to his dharma (religion). And, his dharma was to fight. If you are a student, your dharma is to study. Not that you don’t have to earn money through that. Everybody is working towards money,” she said.

Ms Kishori further explained that one has two options after student life – grihastha (householder) and vairagya (detachment). “If you are opting for grihastha, you should have a materialistic life. Buying something is not a problem. It is when things buy you. With money, you can take your country forward. But keep spirituality with you.”

In March 2024, the spiritual orator received the ‘Best Creator Award for Social Change’ from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She was praised for blending modernism with spirituality.

New Delhi:

Spiritual orator Jaya Kishori has addressed the controversy stirred by her recent public appearance with a custom Dior bag valued at over Rs 2 lakh. The 29-year-old preacher was seen carrying the custom Dior “Book Tote” at an airport. Ms Kishori’s photo soon went viral with followers and critics alike questioning her. 

Responding to these critiques, Ms Kishori said, “I am a normal girl, I live in a normal house, I live with my family… I tell the same thing to the youth that you should work hard, earn money, give yourself a good life, give your family a good life, and fulfil your dreams.” 

She claimed that her Dior “Book Tote”, though highly valued, is a customised item, explicitly made without any leather.

“The bag is a customised bag. There is no leather in it and customised means that you can get it made as per your wish. That is why my name is also written on it. I have never used leather, nor will I ever use it. Those who have come to my ‘Katha’ know very well that I never say that everything is ‘moh maya’, don’t earn money or renounce everything,” she said. 

After her photos went viral, her followers questioned her credibility as a spiritual preacher who espouses detachment from material wealth. One user on X posted, “Spiritual preacher Jaya Kishori deleted her video where she was carrying a Dior bag worth Rs 2,10,000. By the way, she preaches non-materialism and calls herself a devotee of Lord Krishna.”

Responding to the barrage of posts criticising her, Ms Kishori said,  “I have not renounced anything, so how can I tell you to do so? I am clear from day one that I am not a saint, sadhu or sadhvi.”

Ms Kishori has a massive following on social media. The spiritual singer and preacher enjoys over 12.3 million followers on Instagram alone.