From mantras to meditation apps

Rohit Singh was born into a Hindu family, but he doesn't identify as religious. The 24-year-old does, however, occasionally go to the local temple as well as gurudwara, a place of worship and assembly in Sikhism.

Singh also believes in astrology, and this month joined his cousins on the Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage of devotees of Lord Shiva, one of the three major Hindu deities revered in India.

"I am not religious, I am spiritual," he told DW. "I don't go to the temple as frequently as my parents, I go sometimes for the calm and peaceful vibe. I started going when I was unable to find a job and my mental health was at its worst."

The resident of Gurugram, a tech and finance hub just outside the capital, New Delhi, still hasn't found a job. But he says his spirituality has helped his mental health.

"A lot of my friends are like me. We just want some solace," he says.

Interest in religion is declining worldwide. A study by Pew Research Center showed that religious affiliation fell globally by 1 per cent in the decade spanning 2010 to 2020. In the same period, the percentage of people who showed no religious affiliation grew from 23 to 24.2 per cent.

But in India, it's a different story.

Spirituality to cope

In the same Pew study, the global population of Hindus — 95 per cent of whom live in India, where they form 80 per cent of the population — held steady, whereas the number of Muslims, who represent more than 14 per cent of Indians, grew.

Unlike many around the world, India's youth, which makes up 65 per cent of its population, seem to be reconnecting with religion and spirituality. But they are doing it in their own way.

A YouGov-Mint survey showed 53 per cent of India's Gen Z — which refers to people born roughly between 1997 and 2012 — believe religion is important and 62 per cent of them pray regularly.

An MTV Youth Study in 2021 found that 62 per cent of India's Gen Z believe spirituality helps them gain clarity. Almost 70 per cent said they felt more confident after prayer.

"Gen Z has a lot of different vocabulary that they can lean on to explain what they are feeling, which is different from previous generations," counselling psychologist Manavi Khurana told DW.

"Terms like healing, grounding, getting in touch with the self. Spirituality, religion, wellness and well-being all get mixed up, though they have intersections as well," Khurana added.

She is the founder of the mental health organization Karma Care in Delhi, which has a mix of Millennial (people who were born roughly between 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z clients.

"There's also a lot of people connecting to Hinduism given the current political climate," Khurana said.

"A lot of people find solace in religion. If they have absolutely lost hope, they find religion or some mantras or beliefs that help them find that hope. They may not have a lot of other support systems at this time," she explained.

"If spirituality leads to extremism, it's not the best scenario. But if someone uses it as a way to get in touch with themselves and as a coping mechanism, it is very important," Khurana said.

Young Indians don't seem to be shying away from religion — they are reinventing and customising it.

Fewer rituals

Surya, 27, is a solo traveller and influencer with more than 290,000 followers on Instagram. Many of her trips are spiritually inclined.

Surya has travelled to a number of major Hindu pilgrimage sites and festivals, including the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj this year, Kedarnath and the Haridwar Kumbh in 2021.

She says while social media platforms and influencers have made religion more accessible to younger generations, there's more to it than that.

"Spirituality is no longer seen as 'boring' or only for the old. It's becoming a way to find peace in a chaotic modern life," she told DW.

"Today's youth aren't following blindly. They're asking why, exploring how, and embracing what resonates personally. Instead of attending temples because they 'have to,' they may visit Varanasi, Rishikesh, or Isha (Foundation) to feel something real," she added.

During an address to the parliament this year, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the youth are "embracing their traditions, faith, and beliefs with pride, reflecting a strong connection to India's cultural heritage."

He was speaking before the Maha Kumbh Mela, which was held from January to February this year and saw thousands of younger attendees.

Modi's right-wing, Hindu nationalist government has pumped funds into developing and promoting important religious sites such as Ayodhya. The states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have also announced plans to revamp sites of religious, historical and mythological significance.

Spiritual content on social media

With social media playing such an important role in young people's interest in and engagement with spirituality, some critics say these public platforms make the experience less authentic or performative.

Psychologist Khurana says that while there may be an element of truth to this, that does not make the youth's relationship with religion or spirituality inauthentic.

"Just because a lot of Gen Z communicate via Instagram or the internet and that is their way of community, we can't totally write it off as performative," she said, pointing out that young people have been "brought up around phones and raised by technology."

Yoga, meditation, astrology and even spiritual leaders and speakers using relatable language all appeal to the country's youth.

According to a 2023 survey by OMTV, a spiritual storytelling app, 80 per cent of Indians aged 18 to 30 engage with spiritual or religious content online.

"Gen Z's world is noisier and faster than any before. So, their entry points to spirituality look different. They may not read entire scriptures, but they'll listen to a 60-sec clip of Gita wisdom. They might not sit in a temple for hours, but they'll do a 10-minute guided meditation at night. That doesn't make it less real, just modern," Surya said.