The convergence of spirituality and commerce at the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 creates a thriving environment for diverse business ventures
Mrinal Chatterjee
Prayagraj Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, the largest human gathering in a religious event which ended on 26 February, was also a place of trade and commerce. Over 600 million people visited it and millions stayed there for multiple days. Before the event began, it was estimated the event may generate Rs 2 lakh crore if each of 40 crore visitors spend an average of Rs 5,000. As the number far surpassed the estimate, the amount would be more.
A mela continuing for nearly two months attracting crores of visitors coming from far and wide is an opportunity for many kinds of businesses and services. From tourism and hospitality to retail and technology-driven services gained directly. Many companies used the occasion for brand promotion. Several religious start-ups made good business.
Monalisa as a Social Media created Celebrity
This short essay is not about the painting Mona Lisa, the half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci in 1503, considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. This is about Monalisa, the humble Rudraksha beads selling girl of sixteen from Madhya Pradesh, who became almost an overnight celebrity thanks to social media.
She is the most unlikely celebrity coming from a humble socio-economic background, with a humble educational background. Neither is she a talented sports person or a singer or actor or even somebody with exceptional skills. Despite these obvious handicaps, she became popular due to a mix of unique content, local charm, and the ability to connect with audiences. Her large expressive eyes, a captivating smile and an extremely photogenic face came off well on visual media.
Her videos, often showcasing everyday life in Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, resonated with thousands, making her an internet sensation. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube played a crucial role in amplifying her presence. Her distinct style, expressions, or even catchphrases may have contributed to her widespread appeal, as social media thrives on originality and entertainment value.
One key factor in her success is the engagement-driven nature of digital platforms. Likes, shares, and comments fuel visibility, allowing content creators like Monalisa to gain traction beyond their local environment. The virality of her content led to collaborations with influencers, brand endorsements, and media attention, turning her into a full-fledged internet celebrity. Her rise as a social media-created celebrity from Prayagraj highlights the changing landscape of fame in the digital era.
Her journey to internet fame reflects the evolving nature of celebrity culture, where personality, relatability, and digital trends often outweigh traditional measures of talent. In a world where a single viral moment can transform lives, Monalisa’s journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring influencers everywhere. It underscores how social media democratizes fame, offering opportunities to those who might never have been recognized through traditional means.
However, it also comes with challenges, including scrutiny, trolling, and the pressure to deliver under pressure of high expectation. Hence there has to be something solid or a real good kernel inside. Otherwise, it would be forgotten soon. Consider Ranu Mondol or Bhuban Badyakar, the ‘kancha badam’ singer. Monalisa has got a film offer, has became brand ambassador for a jewellery firm Now it is her performance that would carry her or throw her into the graveyard of forgotten divas.
The First Indian sci-fi ‘Manga’ series
Manga is a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels, typically aimed at adults as well as children.
Though the history of Indian science fiction (sci-fi) dates back to the late 1800s and includes works in Bengali, Urdu, and Tamil, besides English- sci-fi comic books came much later.
Qissa Comics in February 2025 claims to have published India’s first manga style sci-fi comics’ series: ‘The Worlds Beyond’. It is a space saga set in a future where humanity has spread across the galaxy, scattered among various solar systems and planets, long forgotten their origins on Earth. It is written by Viswanath Shetty and illustrated by Nitin Sharma.
In the first issue of the comic, the readers are introduced to Veridia, a planet renowned throughout the galaxy as a hunting ground.
A new chapter of the saga will be released every 2 months, the publishers assure.
India-Pak Cricket Match
There are two types of people in this world: those who watch cricket casually and those who turn into astrologers, mathematicians, and part-time tantriks during an India-Pakistan match. If you’ve ever witnessed the sheer emotional turmoil of this rivalry, you know it’s not just a game—it’s an event that requires mental preparation, strategic sitting positions, and an uninterrupted supply of snacks and beverages.
As the match begins fans suddenly become uber-patriotic. By the time the first ball is bowled, the entire country is divided into two types of people—one who sits in one spot and doesn’t move because “Yeh position lucky hai” (this is a lucky position), and the other who keeps changing places like an overenthusiastic chess player, trying to find the perfect angle for victory.
Every boundary hit by India is celebrated like Diwali, and every wicket lost feels like heartbreak. Meanwhile, the aunties who usually complain about their husbands watching too much cricket suddenly turn into professional analysts, debating whether Kohli should have played that shot or not.
The tension reaches peak levels when the match is close. At this point, one brave soul switches off the TV, claiming “Agar nahi dekhenge toh jeet jayenge” (If we don’t watch, we will win). Meanwhile, the WhatsApp family group is flooded with “Jai Hind” messages and dubious match predictions from that one cousin who suddenly thinks he’s a cricket pundit.
Finally, if India wins, there is a street party, loud celebrations, and a sudden wave of unity across the country. If India loses—well, we pretend cricket doesn’t exist for a few days. But one thing is certain: no matter what, we will go through this madness all over again next time.
Now, just for records, the India vs Pakistan match at the ICC Trophy at Dubai on Sunday, 23 February clocked 60.2 crore views on JioHotstar. While ‘viewers’ measures the number of unique individuals engaging with a content, regardless of how many times they tuned in, ‘views’ represent the total number of times the content was watched, including multiple views of the same person.
(The author is Regional Director Indian Institute of Mass Communication, IIMC Dhenkanal. Views expressed are personal.)
