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Who is Abhay Singh, ‘IIT Baba’ who got married months after Mahakumbh fame?

Abhay Singh, the IIT-educated ascetic who gave up science for spirituality, has tied the knot in Himachal Pradesh.

Updated on: Apr 07, 2026 7:59 AM IST
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Abhay Singh, the IIT-educated ascetic who gave up science for spirituality, has tied the knot in Himachal Pradesh. Singh, who earned the moniker of “IIT Baba” for his IIT Bombay education, married an engineering graduate named Preetika earlier this year, although news of the wedding only became public this week.

Abhay Singh, aka IIT Baba, became a social media sensation last year during the Mahakumbh Mela. (X/@Shivanshp007)
Abhay Singh, aka IIT Baba, became a social media sensation last year during the Mahakumbh Mela. (X/@Shivanshp007)

On Monday, Abhay Singh returned to his native village in Haryana’s Jhajjar district with his new bride. He was seen dressed in his trademark saffron robes as he told mediapersons that he was visiting his hometown to seek the blessings of his parents, besides fulfilling KYC formalities in the bank.

Sharing details about his marriage, he said that their wedding was solemnised at Aghanjhar Mahadev Temple in Himachal Pradesh on Shivratri, followed by a court marriage on February 19.

(Also read: Mahakumbh’s viral ‘IIT Baba’ marries Bengaluru engineer in Himachal Pradesh, wedding pic goes viral)

Who is Abhay Singh, the ‘IIT Baba’ who recently tied the knot?

Abhay Singh (also known as Abhey Singh or Abhay Grewal) is an IIT-educated monk who shot to fame during the Mahakumbh Mela last year.

Haryana-born Singh studied aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B).

After completing his undergraduate education in aerospace engineering, he moved to the “arts side" and pursued a Masters in Design.

He later moved to Canada and lived there for three years — working a job where he earned 36 LPA.

He had earlier revealed that in Canada, he struggled with depression. His mental health issues made him want to search for meaning in life and question the role of the mind.

(Also read: IITian Baba at Mahakumbh: Abhey Singh used to work in Canada, earned 36 LPA)

He later quit his corporate career and turned to spirituality. At the Mahakumbh Mela in 2025, he was seen dressed in a typical monk’s attire.

Singh shot to fame after a media interview at the Mahakumbh in 2025, where the interviewer could not hide his surprise when he revealed that he had studied at IIT Bombay. His education earned him the tag of “IIT Baba” or “IITian Baba”.

On his past relationships

In an interview with Headline India last year, Singh said that witnessing the marital discord between his own parents made him lose faith in the institution of marriage.

He also revealed that he had a girlfriend in India, whom he dated for four years, but he never got married because he saw marriage troubles between his own parents.

He had earlier been estranged from his family, but things seem to have changed now.

His father said that he is happy that his son finally entered a new phase of life. Abhay’s mother Sheela Devi also welcomed her son and his wife.

  • Sanya Jain
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sanya Jain

    Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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