Graduating from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is widely seen as a stepping stone to high-paying careers and global opportunities. Students go through years of rigorous preparation to crack one of the world's toughest entrance exams, followed by an intensive academic journey, and often secure prestigious jobs in top multinational companies.
However, many of the IIT graduates have taken a different path-one that diverges sharply from material success. After excelling in academics and beginning promising careers, these individuals chose to renounce mainstream life and pursue spirituality. Their decisions reflect diverse motivations ranging from personal fulfillment to a search for deeper meaning.
Here's a look at eight such IIT alumni who chose monkhood and spiritual service over conventional professional lives:
1. Gauranga Das (IIT Bombay, B.Tech in Metallurgical Engineering, 1989-1993)
Gauranga Das is a leadership consultant and spiritual mentor associated with ISKCON. He has been involved in social and environmental initiatives, including the Govardhan Ecovillage. He also teaches leadership at IIM Nagpur.
2. Radheshyam Das (IIT, M.Tech, 1990-1993)
Radheshyam Das has been associated with ISKCON for over 25 years and currently serves as the President of ISKCON NVCC in Pune. He founded VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration Culture and Education), which works with students and professionals to integrate values and spiritual inquiry.
3. Acharya Prashant (IIT Delhi, B.Tech, 1995-1999; IIM Ahmedabad, PGDM, 2001-2003)
Prashant Tripathi, known as Acharya Prashant, is a contemporary spiritual teacher and author. He founded the PrashantAdvait Foundation and delivers talks on Vedanta and non-duality (Advaita philosophy). Before his spiritual transition, he held roles in the corporate sector.
4. Swami Mukundananda (IIT Delhi, B.Tech; IIM Calcutta, PGDM)
Swami Mukundananda is a spiritual teacher who combines ancient Indian wisdom with contemporary life applications. He began his career in the corporate world but later turned toward spiritual study and teaching, eventually founding JKYog, an organization promoting yoga and wellness.
5. Mahan Maharaj (IIT Kanpur, M.Sc in Mathematics, 1992)
Also known as Mahan Mj or Swami Vidyanathananda, he is a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission and a professor of mathematics. His academic work, especially in hyperbolic geometry and geometric group theory, has received international recognition.
6. Acharya Jaishankar Narayanan (IIT-BHU, 1992)
After graduating from IIT-BHU and briefly working at Tata Steel and in the US, Jaishankar Narayanan embraced the teachings of Swami Dayananda Saraswati and transitioned into monkhood. He now teaches Vedanta and Sanskrit.
7. Madhu Pandit Dasa (IIT Bombay)
Madhu Pandit Dasa is known for founding The Akshaya Patra Foundation in 2000, a major NGO that provides mid-day meals to schoolchildren across India. A devotee of ISKCON, he has been active in organizational leadership and social service.
8. Abhay Singh (IIT Bombay, Aerospace Engineering)
Now known as 'IIT Baba,' Abhay Singh left his engineering career to lead a spiritual life. A native of Haryana, he has been seen participating in large spiritual gatherings like the Kumbh Mela, where he draws public attention for his unusual journey from IIT to renunciation.