The Story of the 'IITian Baba': Educated at IIT Bombay, Worked in Canada—Friendship, Love, and Marriage Following the 2025 Mahakumbh.

IITian Baba Abhay Singh, who garnered significant media attention during the Prayagraj Mahakumbh, has tied the knot with Pratika, an engineer from Karnataka. Upon their first arrival at the family home in Jhajjar following the wedding, the mother of the groom performed the aarti ceremony for her son and daughter-in-law. The sisters-in-law also performed the Santa-Santi ritual alongside the couple.

Baba is currently engaged in the establishment of a Sanatan University in Himachal Pradesh. Having renounced worldly attachments to embrace the path of spirituality, the IITian Baba entered into a love marriage on Shivratri (February 15) at the Abanjar Mahadev Temple in Khanyara, near Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

They also solemnized a court marriage on February 19. Abhay Singh, who had left home in 2023, returned to the Jhajjar Tehsil on Monday for the first time to update the KYC details of his bank account. He was accompanied by his wife, Pratika.

They also spent some time in the chamber of his father, Karn Singh, a former President of the Bar Association. At one time, he used to sit there and assist with drafting legal cases. From there, they proceeded to their ancestral home. His mother, Sheela Devi, welcomed them by applying a tilak and performing the aarti; she also conducted the Griha Pravesh (home-entry) ceremony for her daughter-in-law. A short while later, the couple departed for their ancestral village, Sasrauli. There, they performed traditional rituals.

Subsequently, they participated in the Santa-Santi ritual—a playful custom involving light-hearted tapping with a thin stick—alongside the sisters-in-law. The parents and family members were overjoyed to see their son return after three years, now as a married man. The IITian Baba revealed that Pratika, a native of Mangaluru, Karnataka, is also an engineer by profession.

Currently, the couple resides in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. Abhay expressed that he is very happy to be married. For the time being, he is dedicated to the endeavor of establishing a Sanatan University. When asked about his decision to leave home, he remarked, “One must leave a small family behind to serve a larger family.” He noted that, at present, his detachment from worldly affairs is solely for the sake of the University project.

Friendship after the Mahakumbh… Love, and then Marriage

Pratika shared that she first came into contact with Abhay only after he had made headlines during the Mahakumbh. What began as a chance encounter a year ago blossomed from friendship into love, eventually culminating in the bond of marriage. According to Pratika, Abhay possesses an exceptionally simple and honest nature. Together, the couple is dedicated to the propagation and dissemination of Sanatan culture. In July 2025, the duo also shared a video on social media. This subsequently sparked numerous questions, all of which they duly addressed.

Educated at IIT Mumbai; Worked in Canada

After undergoing coaching in Delhi, Abhay secured admission to IIT Mumbai in 2008. It was here that he completed his B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering. Subsequently, after earning his M.Tech, he spent several years working for an aircraft manufacturing company in Canada. In 2021, once the lockdown restrictions were lifted in Canada, Abhay returned home and began pursuing photography.

In 2023, he distanced himself from his family. In 2025, during the Mahakumbh, he rose to fame under the moniker “IITian Baba.” He also found himself embroiled in significant controversies due to the statements he made during the Mahakumbh. On January 19, 2025, the Juna Akhada expelled him on account of his derogatory remarks against gurus and Sanatan traditions. The Jaipur Police subsequently arrested him on charges of possessing cannabis. Upon his release, he relocated to Dharamshala, where he is currently in the process of establishing a university.