As devotees from across the country and abroad are flocking Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela, over seven crore of them have already taken a dip at the Sangam from January 11 to January 16. Amongst the thousands of devotees and seers who have visited the holy city, a Russian man has captured eye balls after he was spotted in a saffron attire, dressed as a sadhu, with rudraksh mala around his neck, tilak on his forehead, and carrying a big 'jhola'.
This 7-foot-tall man has gone viral as 'Muscular Baba', with people referring to him as the modern-day incarnation of Lord Parasuram, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Lord Parasuram will be born to eliminate sinful and ruthless kings to reduce earth's burden. The sadhu caught attention due to his well-defined and muscular physique and radiant glow on his face. Several social media users also shared his videos and photos, which quickly went viral on the internet.
An Instagram user Kevin Bubriski shared a picture of him and wrote that his name is Atma Prem Giri. He hails from Russia but now lives in Nepal. The sadhu is a former disciple of Pilot Baba and also a member of the Juna Akhara. He reportedly left his teaching career around thirty years ago to learn about Hinduism before ultimately adopting it as his way of life and religion.
The 'Muscular Baba' is now in Prayagraj to attend the Maha Kumbh. The Maha Kumbh Mela started on January 13 and will continue until February 26. Devotees visit the mela for taking a dip at the Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, for spiritual purification.
On Thursday alone, more than 30 lakh devotees bathed in the sacred waters and it is being anticipated that over 45 crore people will attend the Maha Kumbh this year.