Maha Kumbh 2025 | Three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej is sure that his Kumbh visit ‘will translate into a track’

Having visited the ongoing Maha Kumbh twice, three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej says that he is still processing the emotions he felt.

“I made two visits in two weeks. From being a VIP guest to riding on bikes and walking to the Sangam for 7-8 kms on foot — it was an intimidating experience. Two months before I attended the Kumbh, I had composed the theme song Ek Mein Anek, sung by Malini Awasthi for the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department. The experience was overwhelming. I returned on Monday, and am still trying to process all I saw and experienced. I am sure this visit will translate into a track.”

The musician tells, “Immediately after the Grammys, Swami Mitrananadaji from Chinmaya Mission invited me to come for an event which was about young people attending the Kumbh on how our work could be our meditation and our work could be our spirituality. For me, my music has been my form of spirituality, and my music has been my prayer. I attended the event, and it went successfully. Presiding over the event was Swami Avdeshananad Giriji (Mahamandaleshwar of Juna Akhara). I had met him in Maynmar in 2016. He invited me again, so I flied back on February 14 for three days.”

He recalls, “Earlier, it was a VIP visit but this time I decided to have a real experience. So, I walked from the (Juna) Akhara to the Sangam (nose) which was good 7-8 walk in immense shoulder-to-shoulder crowd which was very overwhelming. The sense of smell, visual everything was too intimidating experience of the lifetime.”

Kej says that he had never seen so many people before. “It was a very good equaliser which people of all strata of society were walking together. Everybody was so well-behaved and caring for each other. It was a beautiful experience. I did lot of exploring over motorcycles which have become unofficial bike taxis. Infact, I returned to the airport on a bike as I did not want to risk missing the flight. I also spoke at the event which Faith of Kumbh and Climate Change where I shared the stage with Yogi ji (Adityanath, UP chief minister). There I saw the ultra-luxury side of the tent city.”

This time he was also able to meet and witness singer Malini Awasthi perform.

On signing off note he says and missing Grammys this time, he says, “I have already won thrice — sometimes you win, or you lose. The honour is that I was nominated.”