Maha Kumbh 2025: Spiritual startups see record-breaking uptick in sales, new users

Gurugram-based AstroYogi saw over 100,000 devotees, who could not make it to Prayagraj, tune in to the event virtually via its app.

As the world’s largest religious gathering, the Maha Kumbh 2025, nears its end, the 45-day-long event has proven to be incredibly fruitful for India’s spiritual startups, who have come away with record-breaking user engagement and sales.

Startups, like Sri Mandir, Vama and AstroYogi, that allowed devotees to tune in to the once-in-12-years event virtually, have witnessed much higher-than-anticipated demand.

For Manu Jain, co-founder of Delhi-based spiritual startup Vama, the Maha Kumbh period brought with it a 50 percent increase in user transactions. To cater to the demand, the company had introduced services like live kathas from the Mahakumbh region, home delivery of Mahakumbh Triveni Gangajal and daily Mahakumbh chadhava at Triveni Sangam.

“The Maha Kumbh 2025 has driven exceptional growth for VAMA, with our platform experiencing a 40 percent surge in traffic compared to our pre-event baseline. During the Maha Kumbh phase, we welcomed new users to our platform with a 70 percent increase in users over our typical rate.

To be sure, the platform has an active transacting user base of over 250,000.

Like Vama, several spiritual startups rolled out offerings specific to the Maha Kumbh 2025. These platforms were expecting a 30-50 percent uptick in app downloads and sales during the course of the Kumbh, Moneycontrol reported earlier. However, the demand surpassed estimates, with these firms reporting higher than expected revenues.

“While we initially anticipated a 40-50 percent increase in revenue and user engagement, the devotion of millions far exceeded expectations. We are humbled to share that we surpassed our revenue targets, driven by the immense demand for our curated offerings, including the Mahakumbh Ashirvad Box, guided pilgrimage experiences, and online puja services,” said Prashant Sachan, founder and CEO of Sri Mandir – a Peak XV-backed spiritual startup.

AppsForBharat, the parent company of Sri Mandir, picked up $18 million in series B funding from Fundamentum and Peak XV in September.

While its rivals offered devotees virtual access to the event, Sri Mandir partnered with the Vedashram Trust and Sri Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhada to provide access to authentic rituals, VIP Snan services, and accommodations. Its best-selling services included “personalized pujas at Triveni Sangam, Maha Daan services, and the delivery of sacred Triveni Sangam Jal,” said Sachan.

Likewise, Gurugram-based AstroYogi saw over 100,000 devotees, who could not make it to Prayagraj, tune in to the event virtually via its app.

“We saw 50 percent uptick in the online pooja segment along with a 30 percent jump in pooja products in the retail segment. Our daily active users saw an uptick of 20 percent which further converted in taking online consultations from our astrologers,” said Aditya Kapoor, co-founder, Astroyogi.

One of the largest religious gatherings in the world, with a budget of Rs 7,000 crore, the Maha Kumbh kicked off on January 13 and will conclude on February 26. Since it kicked off, the religious gathering has seen participation from as many as 62 crore devotees.

As such, the demand has also spread to travel-technology platforms, which have reporting a huge surge in bookings for buses, trains, and flights.