New Delhi: Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni recently grabbed headlines following her short-term appointment as the ‘Mahamandaleshwar’ of the Kinnar Akhara during the Maha Kumbh 2025.
Mamta’s tenure as the ‘Mahamandaleswar’ lasted only seven days as several Hindu seers and religious leaders protested against her appointment.
The former actress recently appeared on Rajat Sharma’s show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ and opened up about her spiritual journey, which many are not aware of.
Mamta revealed that she refrained from watching adult films for the past 23 years and also observed the nine-day Navratri fasts.
She further shared how her friends from the industry didn’t allow her to follow the spiritual path seriously and it is then that her Guru asked her to quit showbiz.
“In my Bollywood days, my Guru came into my life in 1997. During my time in the film industry, I followed a strict routine. Whenever I went for a shoot, I would carry three bags-one with my clothes, another with my portable temple. This temple would be set up in my room on a table, where I would perform puja before heading out for work. Only after completing my rituals would I proceed with my shooting schedule,” Mamta shared.
Sharing an incident about indulging in “two pegs” during Navratri at the Taj Hotel, the former actress said, “I vowed to fast during Navratri, a nine-day period of spiritual practice. I performed havans in the morning, afternoon, and evening, surviving on only water for the entire duration. I performed yagya with 36 kilos of sandalwood.”
It was then her friends felt that she was getting too serious and insisted on going outside. “So we went to the Taj, and for one or two Navratris, I continued the same routine. I would drink scotch, but only two pegs. However, I would immediately feel the effects, as though the alcohol hit me all at once. The nine days of fasting were taking their toll. It felt like my insides were burning, and I had to rush to the washroom and spend nearly 40 minutes there.”
“This all happened between 1996-97. For two years, my Guru saw that Bollywood would not allow me to follow this path for long. That’s why he led me to a place of penance where I could be away from everything and everyone for 12 years,” she added.
Talking about ‘Mahamandaleswar’ title, which was conferred to her, the former actress said that she never strived for it. “It was only due to the pressure from Acharya Laxmi Narayan Tripathi of the Kinnar Akhara that I agreed to take up the post,” she added.
