Young spiritual content creator Abhinav Arora (10) has refuted claims that he carried a calfskin leather bag to the Mahakumbh Mela. In a statement shared via HT.com, his father, Tarun Raj Arora, clarified that the bag in question was made of fabric canvas, not leather.

Abhinav, dressed in saffron robes, was spotted carrying a designer Dior bag before taking a holy dip at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers on February 12. The sight of a devotee with a luxury bag sparked mixed reactions online, with some amused by the contrast and others fixated on its hefty price tag—estimated at over ₹2 lakh.

However, the real controversy erupted when some X (formerly Twitter) users alleged that Abhinav was carrying a Dior "Hit The Road" backpack, which, according to Dior’s website, is made of coated canvas and smooth calfskin leather. Given that Hinduism considers cows sacred, the claim led to outrage, especially since Abhinav is known as a devotee of Lord Krishna.

In a firm statement, Abhinav denied using leather altogether, stating:

"I don't use leather in any form, not even in my footwear. I will never do that in my lifetime."

He further clarified:

"I am not a saint, just a devotee and a spiritual orator. If I had anything to hide, I wouldn't have carried the bag openly to Sangam, where over 2 crore people took a dip on Magh Purnima."

Abhinav's father outright denied that the bag was the Dior model circulating in viral posts. However, when asked about the exact make and model, he responded:

"It's a fabric canvas bag. Not sure about the name. We bought it on our last foreign tour."

With the debate still swirling online, Abhinav maintains that his focus remains on spirituality, not materialism.