New Delhi | Prayagraj, 19 February 2025: For the first time in recorded history, the most visible, outlandish, and mysterious participants of the Maha Kumbh Mela made a public service announcement. Seen once in 12 years, their bodies, clad only in ash, carried a message for the millions who will gawk, stare at, admire, appeal to, and revere.
The message was simple: Can You See?
An eye test was inscribed starkly on the skin of the Naga sadhus’ unclothed backs. This was not just a philosophical message, but a literal optical test. How well can viewers read the text or not depending on their eyesight?
That was the message the sadhus of India’s best-known Naga Akhara were sending to the attendees of the world’s biggest religious gathering, the Maha Kumbh Mela with the support of the Eyebetes Foundation, a record-breaking philanthropic effort to test and protect Indians from preventable blindness caused by diabetes.
The Eyebetes Foundation, spearheaded by renowned Mumbai-based eye surgeon and philanthropist Dr. Nishant Kumar, set out to create awareness for a largely invisible and preventable crisis: diabetes-induced blindness. Close to 100 million diabetic Indians may be at risk of complications related to diabetes, and experts caution that the burden of diabetes-related disease is set to increase sharply over the next decade. Only 50% of these individuals may ever be diagnosed, a number likely to rise sharply among lower-income groups, with less access to medical information and intervention.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, expected to draw upwards of 400 million people over the course of a month of devotional rituals and celebrations, presented an opportunity to start the change. An Eyebetes camp set up at the Sangam site offered free screening for diabetes and other common causes of preventable blindness until the end of the mela.
“Physical and spiritual health are deeply linked in religious practice,” a spokesperson for the Naga Akhara said. “Our eyes are the windows to the soul, and to see eeshwar is to see the world. Supporting this cause was an act of good for the countless devotees on their spiritual journey. We felt it was our duty to raise awareness of this noble deed. This is our message to the devotees of the Maha Kumbh Mela and to all who offer us their respects.”
“We knew that for the duration of the Maha Kumbh Mela, the sadhus of the Naga akhara will be the most looked-at figures and an unusual set of influencers,” Dr Nishant Kumar of the Eyebetes Foundation said. “They are known for their asceticism and stark simplicity, as well as their devotion to the truth. I am profoundly grateful that they found our message meaningful and resonant with their own spiritual practice. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“Our studies have found that over 60% of Indians in need of glasses go without them, and 60% of pre-diabetics or early diabetics remain undiagnosed. Both these figures are correlated, and a lot needs to be done to prevent complications arising from these conditions. Over the duration of the mela, we are offering free tests for everyone who comes to our camp at the Maha Kumbh Mela.”
Ms Swati Bhattacharya, Global Head, Godrej Creative Lab, also added, “The beauty of this campaign lies in its simplicity and impact. Early on, we recognized that at the Maha Kumbh Mela, the most striking and unforgettable figures are the Naga Sadhus – seen only once every 12 years, often outlandish, yet most stared at. More than any billboard or advertisement, they were our true celebrity influencers and it was imperative to bring them on board. This campaign was about making people see what they often overlook, both literally and metaphorically. We transformed the act of looking into an act of awareness.”