Former IAS officer, who was Raichur DC, spotted as monk at Maha Kumbh Mela

AICHUR: Former IAS officer I R Perumal, who previously served as the Deputy Commissioner of Raichur, has been spotted as a monk at the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj.

A photo of the former IAS officer, now a monk with hair tied in a knot and a sacred thread, has gone viral. His life as an ascetic has come as a surprise to many.

Perumal served as the District Commissioner of Raichur from 1993-94 and later as the Secretary of the Youth Empowerment and Sports Department. He retired in 2012 after serving in various departments across the state.

In 2014, Perumal built an ashram near the Irunjamudi Shiva temple in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, and adopted the life of a monk. Now known as Shivayogi Perumal Swamiji, the former IAS officer has been spotted at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, and his photo has gone viral on social media.