A rare handwritten letter penned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has recently drawn attention and it has a connection to India's Kumbh Mela.

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The letter has become the tech pioneer's first personal correspondence to be auctioned.

In the note, Jobs has expressed his deep desire to visit India and experience the spiritual spectacle of the Kumbh Mela.

The letter was recently auctioned by Bonhams, a private international auction house, for a whopping $500,312 (Rs 4.32 crore), according to the website.

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This is a poignant coincidence as Jobs' wife, Laurence Powell, is currently in India to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj.

Postmarked on February 22, 1974, just a day before Jobs' 19th birthday, the letter is penned by the late tech mogul to his childhood friend Tim Brown, where he reveals his fascination with Zen Buddhism and ardent desire to attend the Kumbh.

"I wish to go to India for the Kumbh Mela, which starts in April. I will be leaving sometime in March, not really certain yet," Jobs wrote.

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He signs off the letter with "Shanti, Steve Jobs."  

The letter offers a unique window into the tech icon's spiritual and introspective side. 

Also read: 'Never been to such crowded place', Steve Jobs' wife falls ill at Maha Kumbh

Jobs, according to the letter, had also planned a visit to the ashram of Neem Karoli Baba in Uttarakhand.

However, upon reaching Nainital, he learned that Baba had passed away the previous year.

Despite this, he decided to stay at the ashram, located in Kainchi Dham, and found solace in the Baba's teachings.

Following his seven-month stay in India, Jobs was fully immersed in spirituality.

"My head had been shaved, I was wearing Indian cotton robes, and my skin had turned a deep, chocolate brown-red from the sun," Jobs said.

Wife fulfils Steve Job's Kumbh dream

Laurene Powell has fulfilled one of her husband's longstanding desires by attending the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. 

During her stay at Niranjini Akhara in Prayagraj, Powell was given the Hindu name ‘Kamala’ by Swami Kailashanand Giri as a mark of her spiritual inclination. 

Despite developing allergies, she is set to take part in the ritual of taking a dip (at the Sangam). 

During her visit to the Maha Kumbh, Powell is staying in the camp of spiritual leader Swami Kailashanand Giri. 

(With inputs from agencies)