Steve Jobs’ 1974 handwritten letter on ‘wish to go to India for Kumba Mela’ auctioned for over ₹4 cr - What he wrote

A 1974 letter from Steve Jobs about his wish to visit the Kumbh Mela was auctioned for 4.32 crore. Although he could never attend, his wife Laurene is currently at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

Written By Karishma Pranav Bhavsar
Updated15 Jan 2025, 07:40 AM IST
Steve Jobs' 1974 handwritten letter on ‘wish to go to India for Kumba Mela’ auctioned
Steve Jobs’ 1974 handwritten letter on ‘wish to go to India for Kumba Mela’ auctioned

A 1974 handwritten letter by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs about his plans to visit the Kumbh Mela was recently auctioned for 4.32 crore. The letter, which was auctioned by Bonhams, is addressed to his childhood friend Tim Brown. In it, he expressed his wish to visit India for the Kumbh Mela which was to start in April in Haridwar that year.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates

Here's what the letter stated

Tim,

I have read your letter many times

I do not know what to say.

Many mornings have come and gone people have came and went

I have loved and I have cried many times.

Somehow, though, beneath it all it doesn't change - do you understand?

I am now living on a farm in the mountains between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. I wish to go to India for the Kumba Mela, which starts in April. I will be leaving sometime in March, not really certain yet. If you desire, and I am still here when you arive, we can come up here in the mountains together and you can tell me your thoughts and feelings, which I did not fully understand from your letter.

There is a fire in the other room and I am getting cold here. I will end by saying I do not even know where to begin.

Shanti,

Steve jobs.

Also Read | Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Steve Jobs, is now Kamala

Here's the picture of the 1974 letter which Steve Jobs wrote to Tim Brown

Image screenshot from bonhams.com

Though he never attended the Kumbh Mela, his wife, Laurene Jobs, arrived in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj to attend the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, which began on January 13. 

She was also given a Hindu name, Kamala, during a ceremonial event where she performed the ritual of ‘pattabhishek’ for spiritual leader Vyasanand Giri Maharaj. She performed prayers, dressed in a long white dress and an orange shawl. It was also reported that she fell ill with allergies on her second day at the Mahakumbh Mela 2025.

Also Read | Mahakumbh 2025: From ₹7,500 cr budget to ₹2 lakh cr expected revenue

Spiritual leader Swami Kailashanand Giri shared an update: “She will participate in the ritual of taking a dip (at the Sangam). She is resting in my ‘shivir’. However, she has some allergies. She has never been to such a crowded place. She is quite simple. She stayed with us during the pooja. Our tradition is such that those who have never seen it - they all want to join.

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First Published:15 Jan 2025, 07:33 AM IST