In the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, several records were broken and hundreds of new were made. Amongst all of them, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’s wife Laurene Powell Jobs, attended the mela, and her flights at Prayagraj airport created a 93-year-old record, reported Times of India.

According to the report, Laurene landed at the Prayagraj airport via Bhutan Airways and returned to Bhutan on the same flight. This set a new record as it was the first time an international flight landed at the Prayagraj Airport after 93 years.

Despite Laurene missing the holy dip in the Ganga on the first day of the Maha Kumbh Mela, her visit at Prayagraj garnered significant attention.

Earlier in 1911, Henri Piquet initiated domestic commercial aviation in India and was flying mail from Allahabad to Naini. The Allahabad Aerodrome was established in 1931, with flights to London until 1932. This made Allahabad one of India’s first international airports.

Why Laurene attended Kumbh Mela?

Addressing his childhood friend Tim Brown, Steve Jobs expressed his wish in a letter dated 23 February 1974 to attend the Kumbh Mela, which is celebrated by millions. Jobs had written, as quoted by TOI, “I wish to go to India for the Kumbh Mela, which starts in April. I will be leaving sometime in March, not really certain yet.”

He closed the letter with ‘Shanti, Steve Jobs’, which provides a touching testament to his deep connection with Hinduism and spirituality.

Recently, the letter was auctioned for $500,321.50 (about ₹4.32 crore).

Jobs’ spiritual journey began when he arrived at Neem Karoli Ashram in Uttarakhand, though the saint had passed away years before.

Steve Jobs’ last gift:

The report added that Hindu guru Paramahansa Yogananda wrote a book, Autobiography of a Yogi, that had profound significance for Steve Jobs. The Apple co-founder first read the book as a teenager and continued reading it annually. The impact was that high that his final gift to his friends was a copy of the book.