Dharamshala, April 9
Abhay Singh, the man who became widely known across India as the ‘IIT Baba’ during the Mahakumbh, has returned to Dharamshala after visiting his family in Haryana following his marriage to Prateeka. Talking to media in Dharamshala, he said his sudden rise to fame during the Mahakumbh played an unexpected role in his personal life. “If I had not become known during the Mahakumbh, I may never have met Prateeka,” he said, reflecting on how events unfolded in recent months.
Abhay Singh, originally from Sasroli village in Jhajjar district of Haryana, married Prateeka on February 15 during the Mahashivratri festival at the Aghanjar Mahadev temple in Dharamshala. After the wedding, the couple travelled to Jhajjar to meet his family before returning to Himachal Pradesh.
He said his family was already aware of his bond with Prateeka, as the two had been conducting spiritual sessions together for about a year, which relatives had also followed. Before leaving for the Mahakumbh, Singh said he had told his family that he was committed to what he described as a mission of “establishing dharma”.
According to Abhay Singh, Prateeka first came across a viral interview of his before the Mahakumbh and recognised him later. He said they met around Mahashivratri, after which they travelled to Coimbatore. He added that she had not closely followed everything that happened during the Mahakumbh, but had connected with him through that earlier interview.
Prateeka, who is from Karnataka and works as an engineer, is now beginning a new chapter with him, he said. He added that both of them are happy in their married life and want to continue walking together on what he described as the path of spirituality and Sanatan values.
Looking ahead, the couple say they hope to build a “Sanatan University” in the future — a space they envision as a platform for people interested in spirituality and traditional Indian thought.
Abhay Singh’s father, Karn Singh, is a well-known lawyer in Jhajjar and a former president of the Jhajjar Bar Association.
