Spirituality is the new buzzword doing the rounds in the City. It is estimated that there are over 40 ashrams and spiritual centres in Bangalore. The cosmopolitan nature of the metropolis is to a large extent responsible for this phenomenon.

 The boom in the economy and drastic changes in lifestyles have left people dazed and confused. Once the meretricious charm of a glitzy life in the fast lane wears off, it becomes inevitable to face the lacuna and turn to something more sustaining. “Initially, I was taken in by the dazzle of a materialistic life. Gradually, its sheen began to dull and I started questioning the validity of my lifestyle. It is then, that I turned to spirituality and overhauled my entire attitude towards work and life,” says Shantanu V, a manager in an IT firm.

Demanding work schedules, tight deadlines, weakening family structure have contributed to growing stress and depression among the 30 something professionals. It is to beat stress and depression that these upwardly mobile young people are looking to spirituality for help and not to attain moksha. “New age spirituality is more about coping with life on a daily basis. It provides tools to deal with stress and challenges of living hectic, mechanical lives,” opines Suvidha, an engineer.

Stress and weariness are not the anathema of the common man alone. Celebrities are not spared either and their taking to spirituality for solace has made it a fashion statement of sorts. Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, a movie director and an Art of Living practitioner says, “I am an atheist and I do not believe in rituals. Hence, I sought moorings in spirituality and found means to effectively deal with a stress-ridden life.”

Modern lifestyles have fuelled the spread of psychosomatic and psychological ailments and spirituality is the panacea for many of them. “I used to suffer from health problems and found relief after practising some of the exercises prescribed by Art of Living. Needless to say, I have also gained a lot in terms of wisdom and am much more at peace now,” says Avinash Ramasubhramanya, a software engineer. For Kritika, a college student, Art of Living has increased her ability to concentrate and perform better academically.   

The quest for peace and fulfilment is as old as mankind, however, the rat race of metropolitan life has made the need for spiritual comfort more pressing than ever before. This is one fad which shows no signs of fading away in the near future.