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"Main school nahi jata (I don't go to school)” declares 5-year-old Bhakt Bhagwat from Jaipur in a viral video. His reason? Schools teach physics but not the Gita. With 2.5 million Instagram followers hanging onto his every word, this kindergarten-aged guru has found his calling in Gurukul instead of grade school.

He is not alone. 

Welcome to the newest paradox of Indian childhood, where kids skip ABC for ancient scriptures, dispense ancient wisdom and claim to chat with Krishna over breakfast.

For the last few weeks, Abhinav Arora, dubbed India's "Youngest Spiritual Orator" by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, has dominated social media feeds and news headlines. The eleven-year-old's videos command million of views, and he's even scored an invite to the Ram Mandir inauguration. From being the kid no one wanted to sit next to in school, he's become the one parents beg teachers to seat their children beside. 

Arora dreams of trading his school uniform for the robes of a Gurukul, just like his idols Ram and Krishna. "My mother forcibly makes me go to school," he complained in an interview two years ago, perhaps the only time this pint-sized preacher sounded like a typical child.

To understand this new breed of young spiritual influencers, I spent the last two weeks scrolling through their Instagram feeds and warping my YouTube algorithm with their videos. It’s impossible not to notice the rising number of Indian children aspiring to be gurus. 

Spirituality is now a booming industry, rivaling wedding planning in size and impact. In 2016, The Economic Times estimated the spiritual market to be worth $40 billion, so it's no surprise that today its newest stars are young preachers. 

As the allure grows, so do the business opportunities—even virtual courses promise to teach participants how to “create their own spiritual movement.”

But at what cost does this divine fame come?

The Price of Divine Fame

Behind the viral videos and devoted followers lie a darker reality. YouTubers have pointed out how Abhinav's responses seem suspiciously scripted, with identical word choices across interviews. A few weeks ago, ABP News put him to the test on camera, asking him questions about Lord Krishna (his proclaimed deity of choice). The video of the 11-year-old struggling to respond has gone viral since with many content creators mocking and trolling him. 

Some critics claim that Abhinav Arora's father Tarun Arora (who is motivational speaker BTW) is the one who encouraged his son to become a child spiritual influencer. 

While I was watching these videos, I was reminded of Satyajit Ray's 1960 masterpiece "Devi". In the film, a 17-year-old is forced to become a living goddess, eventually losing her grip on whether she is divine or human.

A Tale Of Two Influencers

But here's where the story takes an even darker turn. While our baby babas from privileged backgrounds are celebrated for "rebuilding Indian culture," children like 11-year-old Rashi Shinde tell a different story. For instance, her dance video to "Saami Saami" garnered 2 million views – and a torrent of abuse, with commenters telling her parents to "drown in shame."

You can read our deep dive on the story of Rashi Shinde here. 

The Platform Problem 

When approached about protecting child influencers from abuse, Facebook's response was essentially a digital shrug. The responsibility, they claimed, lies with the account handlers – in this case, the parents. Their solution? A six-part certificate program for young content creators, buried so deep in Instagram's labyrinth that many, who desperately need such resources, haven’t even heard of it.

This disparity raises uncomfortable questions: Why are some children celebrated as cultural ambassadors while others are condemned for similar pursuits? When does "using children to make money" become acceptable, and who gets to decide? 

A Childhood Lost?

14-year-old Ushma, another young influencer, has gathered nearly 6 lakh YouTube subscribers with her spiritual discourses. While she maintains she's happy to sacrifice playtime with friends for her calling, one has to wonder: in the rush to create the next spiritual sensation, are we robbing children of their fundamental right to just be children?

Notably, the legal protection for these digital child performers remains surprisingly thin. Arjun Adrian, lawyer at Software Freedom Law Centre, had told us, “As a minor, I might not understand the content that is being uploaded by my parents, but when I become a major I may object to that. At present, a minor doesn’t have the right to delete that data.”

In this brave new world of spiritual influencers, one can't help but wonder: When these children finally grow up, will they thank their parents for setting them on the path to enlightenment, or will they wish they'd spent more time on the playground instead of the pedestal? More importantly, are we, as a society, ready to face the consequences of turning childhood into a divine business venture?

The answer might lie not in the heavens, but in the comments section of their next viral video.

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