Sacred stories in virtual spaces: a triangulated qualitative study of digital Darshan and mythological immersion at the Maha Kumbh

Abstract

In the world’s largest spiritual gathering, a digital revolution has quietly emerged. This study explores how immersive communication from AR and VR technologies reconfigure sacred experiences in the Maha Kumbh Experience Centre in Prayagraj (India). Using a triangulated methodology combining phenomenological interviews, silent ethnographic observations, and digital discourse content analysis, the study examined how Indian pilgrims interacted with immersive media and digital storytelling of mythologies. Findings revealed five core themes–temporal dissolution, embodied digital devotion, narrative mirroring, technological transcendence, and sacred-digital liminality. These insights culminated in the theoretical constructs of digital darshan (sacred viewing in Hinduism), mythological co-presentation, and the sacralization of technology. The study offers rich implications for scholars of spirituality, technology designers, and cultural heritage policymakers, demonstrating how spiritual presence can be meaningfully mediated without photographs or conventional documentation.