Vrindavan, Banaras, Rishikesh — once known for silence, surrender, and stillness — are now crowded.
Not just with devotees, but with cameras.
Tripods outside temples. Reels during aarti.
And a quiet question lingers:
If phones weren’t allowed, would the crowd still be the same?

What is performative spirituality?
Performative spirituality is when spiritual practices are done to be seen, not felt.
When meditation is timed for a reel.
When healing is announced before it’s experienced.
When faith becomes aesthetic, and inner work turns into outer validation.

It’s not about spirituality being wrong —
it’s about intention being diluted.

Somewhere along the way,
trips to religious places have become almost mandatory after breakups.

Heartbreak? Go to Rishikesh.
Confused? Vrindavan reels will fix it.
Lost? Post a temple picture with “Trusting God’s plan.”

But spirituality was never meant to be a detour from pain.
It was meant to help us walk through it.

Earlier, spirituality was private
Today, its documented.

When healing is rushed for the camera:
    •    Pain becomes a trend
    •    Trauma becomes a personality
    •    Growth becomes a deadline

Real healing is slow.
Often boring.
Mostly invisible.

And it doesn’t always fit into 30 seconds.

However, this doesn’t mean younger generation is fake.
It means they are searching.

In a loud world, even a performative beginning can lead to a genuine pause.
Sometimes people post before they practice —
but practice can still follow.

And if spirituality helps someone survive heartbreak, anxiety, or loneliness —
even imperfectly —
it still holds value.

Written By: Kanishka Grover