MAHA KUMBH NAGAR: American billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs – widow of Steve Jobs – reached the ashram of her guru, Swami Kailashnand Giri, the acharya mahamandleshwar of Niranjini Akhara, in Prayagraj on Saturday. She will be staying at the camp till Jan 15 before heading back to the US to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of US President-elect Donald Trump.
Accompanied by her 40-member team, Laurene landed at Prayagraj on Saturday night and entered the Maha Kumbh mela area on Sunday noon.
“On the first Amrit Snan on Jan 14, ‘Kamla’ (a name given to her by her guru) will be behind my chariot along with Swami Vyasanand Giri, who was anointed as Mahamandaleshwar on Sunday evening, and that would be the first Sangam bath of Kamla at Prayagraj,” Kailashanand Giri said.
Niranjini Akhara would be taking bath between 7.05am to 7.45am on Jan 14.
On her arrival at the camp on Sunday, Laurene – dressed in a peach-yellow salwar suit, with ‘Rakshasutra’ (kalava) on her right arm and a ‘rudraksh mala’ hanging from her neck – was accorded a grand welcome with a synchronised playing of trumpet. She was served hot masala tea in kulhad. Later, she was served a traditional Indian lunch.
“She was satavik, even before meeting me in Feb last year at my Haridwar ashram. Being a simple and humble woman, she spends her day meeting people in the camp, performing sadhana, Kriya Yog and Pranayam,” Kailashanand said. On Saturday, Laurene had visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple and offered prayers there.