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International Journal of Management (IJM) Volume 11, Issue 8, August 2020, pp 2035-2047, Article ID: M_11_08_179 IJAvailable online at http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJM?Volume=11&Issue=8 Journal Impact Factor (2020): 10.1471 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510 DOI: 10.34218/IJM.11.8.2020.179

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ANALYTICAL STUDY OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY AMONG THE CITIZENS OF PUNE

CITY Manjusha Wadekar

Undergraduate Department, Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Rajeshree Gokhale Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce,

Pune, Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT The concept of Spirituality is difficult to understand on a superficial level.

However, God is present in all of us. Trying to find that godliness or connecting with that inner God is how spirituality can be defined for a layman. Spirituality is a broad concept and is not limited to religion alone. It is not necessary that spirituality can be obtained through only a single, specific source. Each human being has an equal right for being spiritual and practice different ways of attaining spirituality. Every religion has been teaching humans to become better persons, selfless in giving. But there are different aspects of spirituality that need to be explored. This paper is an attempt to understand the concept of spirituality, its importance and the outcomes of the same

amongst the citizens of Pune. The major findings reveal that spirituality is gender unbiased and that family is the primary influencer in the process of spirituality. A

majority of the respondents associated peace of mind and meditation with spirituality and this can help them in overcoming situations of crisis. The research helped in

developing a simple scale to measure affinity or liking towards spirituality. The research also helped in understanding the importance of technology in the process of

exploring the self. Though the research is confined to a particular city, Pune, the outcome that Spirituality can be perceived as any way through which an individual

realizes the connections with the external world, attains peace of mind and contentment, and becomes a better version of self where age, income, education,

occupation, gender, egos do not matter at all, has global implications.. Keywords: Practices for Spirituality, Religion, Yoga, Meditation, Inner Soul, Peace, Life Experience.

Cite this Article: Manjusha Wadekar and Rajeshree Gokhale, Analytical Study of Different Aspects of Spirituality Among the Citizens of Pune City, International Journal of Management 11(8), 2020, pp. 2035-2047.

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Analytical Study of Different Aspects of Spirituality Among the Citizens of Pune City


1. INTRODUCTION In this fast-paced life, every individual is engaged in a quest, in some or the other way to find peace of mind and happiness. Being happy is the right of every human being and every human

being is seeking something or other in their life (Lama, Carter 1998)[2]. Everybody‟s perception of happiness is different, be it materialistic or beyond. Spirituality is a broad and a flexible term which is defined in various ways by different individuals. In general, spirituality is a way to connect with our inner soul and awareness about our connections with everything. Soul never dies. It merely transforms (Khasgiwale 2014). Thus the connection with that inner soul becomes all the more important. Spirituality could rather be called a way in which an individual can attain bliss. In words of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, „We are not human beings

having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having human experience‟. The five aspects of the value of spirituality have been defined as hopefulness, compassion and

understanding, sense of purpose and meaning, inspiration and appreciation, and peace of mind (Wilner 2014). In the present time, the human life has turned into a hectic life. Such a lifestyle will soon mutate into a human life deprived of peace and true happiness. Hence, spirituality truly holds utmost significance. Being spiritual can mean spending time with self and also detaching oneself from the other concerns to just focus on attaining peace, knowledge and self-introspection.

The Hindu philosophy has always been a forerunner in the field of experiencing spirituality. This has been well explained in the research paper on the Hindu Spirituality

(Junghare 2016).[3] According to the Hindu philosophy a is a representation of God in guruhuman form. , a person who guides us in life and helps us attain the supreme state of Gurumoksha guruto be with God forever. Because of this significance of in the lives of people,

many institutes have mushroomed all over the world to impart knowledge and to give the experience of spirituality.

The institutes or organizations called as in India were in charge of carrying out ashrams mostly the religious activities in the 19 th century. Later the notion of spirituality started

changing over the world. Spirituality was looked upon as something different than religion and religious institutionalization (Mansouri, Keshavarzi 2014)[4]. Thus spirituality has

different interpretations and is not a static concept but rather evolving over time and place. The focus of this study city of Pune has not just the historical background but also has a

number of religious sites like the famous Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple, Osho Ashram, Iyyengar Yoga Institute, ISKON, several other temples, mosques, churches and

meditation and yoga centers. At the same time, it has also emerged as a leading educational and IT hub in India. This has seen an increase in the number of shopping malls, pubs, and other sources of entertainment centers. There is an interesting mix of people in the city with various religious backgrounds practicing different spiritual practices and what was once called

as the pensioners‟ paradise is today a fast paced tech city. In spite of widespread modernization, spiritual sites seem to have prevailed and the age-old traditions followed by the primary occupants of this city still have been retained. It is thus important to understand if

the values of spiritual understanding have been impacted by rise of technological and materialistic advancements.

2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Spirituality over the years has acquired diverse and somewhat conflicting meanings. In recent years, this topic has become a point of interest among academicians as well as practitioners of

management and organizational behavior. However, several attempts are being made to clearly define spirituality by delinking it from religion and by identifying the quintessential facets, indicators or dimensions of spirituality. Spirituality is a broad concept. Spirituality can

Manjusha Wadekar and Rajeshree Gokhale


be found anywhere if understood properly. In the modern era for most of the people who are working their daily work offers them the solace to run away from many of their problems. For many, “work” is “religion” and “work” is also „spirituality”. Doing the routine work with an upbeat positive attitude has helped people in their lives (Madden 2015) [5]. It is not necessary that spirituality can be attained through only a single, specific source. It is not necessary to attain spirituality only through following rites and rituals as prescribed by the religion that one follows. The human suffering draws people to think about the super power that can sooth them, guide them and show the way to live life. Music, meditation are part of spirituality.

There are various forms one can explore thorough which a person can attain spirituality. Particularly in India there are variety of options.

Wari is one such form to attain spirituality; a backbone of devotion, strength and discipline. which is an iconic pilgrimage event that happens annually in the months of WariJune-July in the state of Maharashtra in India, has a history of more than 800 years and this tradition has been followed religiously by millions of people every year. is not the only Waripilgrimage in India. is a procession which is walked from various areas in Maharashtra Warito merge at , a small town of religious and spiritual significance. It is a complete Pandharpureducation system on its own. is beyond all religions and castes. People from all walks of Warilife, religion, willingly participate in this event. All the (people who walk a are warkaris Wari

called as warkaris) just follow one universal religion of „serving the society‟. Worshiping God is all about doing well to others. This is how these understand spirituality. The warkaris

best way to find oneself or to know oneself is serving the mankind. All the devotees or warkaris sant vangmay follow the teachings of the great saints written in „ ‟ (collection of

literature written by all great saints of Maharashtra) and throughout their journey to Pandharpur, they go on spreading the awareness about spirituality, issues of social

significance through and which are the devotional songs written in the bhajans abhangas local language understood by everyone, to reach the common man easily. These warkaris

even share their spiritual experiences with fellow warkaris seva-. All these people work with „

bhav‟ which is providing voluntary services without expecting anything in return. This plays a major role in transforming a person into a better human being. It is also an exemplary model of management (Pansare 2014)[6]. as a practice in Hinduism has been influential in the Kirtan

American new age movements in the 60s. It is being “spiritual” but not “religious” and promotes community development and bonding (Pettit 2014).[7] This practice of has Kirtansimplified the concept of spirituality to a whole new level.

„ ‟ (Foley 2015, 638)Sound is an experience of the intangible [8]. Sounds are everywhere. When paid attention to, the sounds in the nature also make one experience this „intangible‟,

the spirituality. Music which is melodious sound, is not just an art but is a form of ultimately reaching God. However, music in the times was sung and played for entertainment. Its Vedicother main use was during the performance of the a Sanskrit word that literally means Yajna (worship, offering, sacrifice ; and it was here that was born. However, the concept ) Sama-Gana that music would lead to spiritual development did not seem to have existed then. Saamvedais one of the four vedas which consists of melodies and chants. Sanskrit word „ ‟ means saman

„song‟ and „ ‟ means „knowledge‟ and thus Veda saamveda is knowledge of music. The melodies and chants in are considered as roots of Indian classical music and dance saamvedatradition. In addition to singing and dance it comprises of information about various musical instruments. Saamveda is all about being „one‟ with god through performing art forms.

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice which originated in ancient India. The origination of dates back in the pre- period since one can see the mention of yoga vedic yogain the Later, the of India introduced this practice to the world. In words Rigveda. Yoga Gurusof Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, „The word yoga means skill - skill to live your life, to manage your



mind, to deal with your emotions, to be with people, to be in love and not let that love turn into hatred.‟

Swami Vivekananda emphasized on gaining spirituality through the comprehensive technique of „ ‟ (Swami Vivekananda, 2014). For the spiritual development of four main yoga

types of personality the intellectual, the emotional, the active and the psychic or –

introspective the respective forms of are and – Yoga Jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, karma yogaraja yoga Jnana yoga. shows the way to realize the oneness of the individual soul with the supreme soul through the discipline of discrimination between the real and the unreal. Karma yoga Bhakti yoga shows the way of perfection for the active man of the world. shows the way to train and control the emotions in order to attain spirituality. is the exposition of Raja yogathe contemplative technique of , a sage in India particularly known for his works in PatanjaliSanskrit on and . yoga yoga sutra

By asking a simple question „ ‟ Vivekananda really makes why does man look for God?everyone think about their own perception of spirituality. Why do people seek a perfect idol in someone or somewhere? What if the One who is being sought everywhere is right here, inside everyone? Maybe it is none other than their own soul and attaining spirituality helps

the soul to recognize its absoluteness. The Hindu Holy Scripture Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta talks about how to be a good human being, fulfill your duties and keep doing work selflessly. It is a handbook of living a happy and fulfilling life.

Another spiritual guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, in his book „Autobiography of a Yogi‟, said that „Yoga is, as I can readily believe, the perfect and appropriate method of fusing body

and mind together so that they form a unity which is scarcely to be questioned. This unity creates a psychological disposition which makes possible intuitions that transcend

consciousness.‟ (Paramhansa Yogananda 2013, 223-224). Yogananda, in his lifetime, propagated Kriya Yoga. He preaches Yoga as the way to transcend consciousness by way of unifying body and mind. The practice of yoga is an incredible avenue for self-discovery and

spiritual growth. Certainly, yoga has become a powerful vehicle for self-improvement and even community transformation.

Meditation which was perceived to be the forte of , sages, is now being used sadhus gurus for its medical benefits more than ever. Meditation is a way of reaching out to God by

concentrating all the energies into one focal point. To achieve this state of one-ness with God, it takes lot of practice and fervor. (Ved Valmiki on www.yogiapproved.com)[9]

A research paper based on spirituality and mental health, talks about how mental health is directly affected by the spiritual perceptions of people. In this research paper an interesting psychotherapeutic therapy to cure psychological illness has been mentioned which is called Spiritually Augmented Cognitive Behavior Therapy (SACBT) which was developed and

promoted at the University of Sydney. In this particular technique, four key areas are emphasized: acceptance, hope, achieving meaning and purpose, and forgiveness. It depicts

how spirituality is being used as a curative technique.[10] Another study by a researcher of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1998[11], aimed

to find out the prevalence of the construct of spirituality in health, health care, diseases, social conditions, general well-being, and health education programs. The research revealed that

attaining spirituality can increase general well-being and life satisfaction and also been shown to provide a coping mechanism in problematic situations. It can also provide a source of

empowerment and enhancement. In the recent times, spirituality and religion have received increasing attention within the

field of psychology (Koessel 2011). Its importance in the therapeutic use for the psychological and social well-being has been coming to the fore time and again as can be seen



from the above two examples of research being conducted, technique being developed to treat psychological illness. This is absolutely essential for a healthy society.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The study was undertaken in the city of Pune with the following objectives in mind. Objective:

To study the different perceptions of the concept of spirituality by the residents of Pune.

To observe commonalities in different spiritual practices and trends. Hypotheses: The following Hypotheses were framed to be tested: H1 Majority of residents of Pune city are spiritually inclined. –

H2 Multitude of factors contribute towards developing affinity for spirituality. –

4. RESEARCH DESIGN 4.1. Data CollectionA questionnaire was formed which included questions about belief in higher power, following of spiritual practices if any, and the reasons behind them. Along with these questions an open ended question on the perception of spirituality was asked. The research study mandated not to restrict the expression of the respondents to a particular set of answers because the aim of this research study was to observe and describe the thoughts or expressions of the respondents freely. The questions on „most relatable states of mind after experiencing spirituality‟ and „the practices followed for the spirituality‟ were also open-ended questions to understand the real expressions of the respondents rather than limiting their responses to a chosen set of options. The factors that have resulted in the shift of inclination towards spirituality were pre-decided options based on the general observations and brainstorming sessions rather than adapting any available standardized scale. 4.2. Sampling Design This study required to collect primary data from the individuals. Therefore a questionnaire was designed to collect this data using stratified random sampling method; each strata being one religion, so as to get the representation of each religion in the sample from the city of Pune. The visitors of Pune city at the time of data collection were also included. The sample size was 251 individual respondents. The / institutes were also visited and data was ashramscollected after interacting with the authorities to understand the perspectives of these bodies and their work related to providing various means of attaining or experiencing spirituality. 4.3. Statistical Design Statistical tools like non-parametric tests chi-square test of independence, Friedman‟s Q test,

and measures of central tendency have been used to analyze data using SPSS package and Microsoft Excel. 4.4. Analysis & InterpretationData Data collected was analyzed and following are some of the key findings of the research. The demographic data revealed a female dominant sample in the young age group of 25-35 years. For the dichotomous data in Table 1, the coefficient of association Q is calculated and the

value is 0.27. This indicates that there is a weak positive correlation between gender and spiritual inclination, almost showing not much relation. Whatever the weak relation there may



be, could be purely due to chance. To ensure this further, chi-square test of independence has been applied to the above data. Ho: Spiritual inclination is gender unbiased. H1: Spiritual inclination is gender biased.

The calculated chi-square in this case is 0.085, which is greater than 0.05, leads to p-valueacceptance of the null hypothesis Ho. That indicates spiritual inclination is gender unbiased. Both men and women are equally spiritually inclined.

Table 1. Gender and Spiritual Inclination

Gender Spiritual Inclination

Total Yes No

Female 137 30 167 Male 61 23 84 Total 198 53 251

Source: Data collected by the authors from primary source, Author1, Author2 2019 The data in Table 2, shows 28% respondents perceive the meaning of spirituality as ‘peace of mind’, ‘meditation’. The next major lot of respondents, 24%, have not answered the question. Due to the lack of understanding of the concept of spirituality, add to it 2% of the respondents who clearly said they have no knowledge of spirituality, making 26% of the respondents fall to the other spectrum of the answers. The third major group, 15%, believes in God, faith in something or someone and their inner self.

Table 2. Meaning of Spirituality for the Respondents Perception of Spirituality –

Sr. No. Meaning Number of

Respondents Percentage

1 Peace of mind, Meditation 71 28% 2 Happiness, Contentment and Positivity 22 9%

3 Faith, Belief, Connecting with God and Inner self 38 15%

4 Religion and Visiting Temples 10 4% 5 Do not know the concept of Spirituality 4 2% 6 No answer 59 24% 7 Miscellaneous answers 10 4%

Source: Data collected by the authors from primary source, Author1, Author2 2019

The data in Table 3 reveals, 33.1% of the respondents said, it is natural to accompany family members to various places of spiritual significance since childhood in India. Stories,

experiences heard from other people motivates them to experience the spirituality for themselves and thus it becomes the second best reason for developing liking or affinity

towards spirituality as cited by 26.3% respondents. 19.9% respondents believe that their interest in spirituality is roused due to the advent of technology as the present generation stays in touch with many online platforms where they watch videos by spiritual gurus, listen to spiritual speeches, meditative music among other things. Younger generation prefer to take

solace in this technically created spiritual world connecting to the gurus through a virtual medium.



Table 3. Reason(s) for Developing Liking / Affinity towards Spirituality

S. No. Reasons Number of

Respondents

Percentage

1 Getting to know experiences of other people 66 26.3% 2 Reading articles on spirituality 43 17.1%

3 Listening to lectures / viewing videos by spiritual gurus 50 19.9%

4 Accompanying family members 83 33.1% 5 Other 42 16.7%

6 No Answer 11 4.4%

Source: Data collected by the authors from primary source, Author1, Author2 2019 Figure 1 shows data regarding the most relatable state of mind post experiencing

spirituality. Peace of mind has been missing from the lives of most people in this modern era. After practicing or experiencing the spirituality, the most number of respondents, 66.9%, have attained followed by by 31.5% respondents. These states of mind ‘peace of mind’ ‘happiness’are the ones they can relate to, the most. and are ‘Sense of belonging’ ‘sense of achievement’also relatable states of mind. The spiritual achievements are not easy to come by but ‘sense of belonging’ is definitely a good start.

Figure 1: Most Relatable State of Mind Post Experiencing Spirituality

Source: Author1, Author2 2019

If one goes by today‟s generation that is practical yet wish to understand the culture, religion and concepts like spirituality, they opt for alternative ways of obtaining the

knowledge of spirituality and ways of practicing it. Visiting religious places still tops the list according to 37.5% of the respondents as shown in Figure 2. Spending time with nature

(31.1%) and meditation (25.5%) follow suit. Doing yoga, regular exercising (13.9%) gives the respondents the much sought after experience of spirituality.



Figure 2. Practices followed for Spirituality

Source: Author1, Author2 2019

The data in the Table 4 shows the final ranks of the factors that have resulted in the shift of the inclination towards spirituality and activities associated with it such as yoga,

meditation, visiting places of spiritual significance. The actual data, while applying the test, was reduced to the sample of 124 since remaining respondents either did not understand the question and hence gave inappropriate responses or preferred not to answer for the reasons best known to them. Looking at the standard deviation of the ranks, the data is varying very less across all the ranks. This shows that the data is consistent across the reduced sample. The above data was tested using -parametric test, and the result obtained Friedman‟s Q test, a non

is as follows. Ho: The factors influencing the shift in the inclination towards spirituality are of equal importance and are treated as such. H1: The factors influencing the shift in the inclination towards spirituality are treated with different level of importance

Friedman‟s Q test resulted in rejecting Ho at 5% level of significance because the calculated p-value of Friedman‟s Q turned out to be 0.0001, almost 0, which is less than 0.05.

The result that Ho is rejected implies that H1 is accepted. In short, the factors influencing the shift in the inclination towards spirituality are treated with different levels of importance which is reflected in the ranks of these factors as voted by the respondents. The ranks based on the means are thus proved to be statistically significant. If one looks at the factors that are ranked, stress takes the top rank followed by intolerance at the second spot. Competition and pollution are at the third and fourth ranks respectively.



Table 4. Factors that have resulted in shift of the inclination towards Spirituality and activities associated

S. No. Factors Final Ranks

Mean Minimum Maximum Median Standard Deviation

1 Stress 1 1.75 1 5 1 1.18

2 Intolerance 2 2.62 1 5 3 1.05

3 Competition 3 3.00 1 5 3 1.01

4 Pollution 4 3.28 1 5 4 1.23 5 Other 5 4.34 1 5 5 1.20

Source: Data collected by the authors from primary source, Author1, Author2 2019

5. FINDINGS & DISCUSSION Spirituality is a process of becoming better human beings not for others but for themselves. It was really interesting to observe the ways in which people practice and attain spirituality. The research focused on the different aspects of spirituality in Pune city like understanding of the concept of spirituality, its importance and need in the present times. Entire Pune city has been spanned for data collection and all areas have been represented adequately as the study is related to understanding if the people of Pune city are spiritually inclined. Though the data projects a more female dominant sample (refer to Table 1) that does not reflect in spiritual inclination of the same in a more prominent manner as the hypothesis proves that spiritual inclination is gender unbiased. Both men and women are equally spiritually inclined.

Income has nothing to do with spirituality. However, the purpose of this research paper was not to focus on identifying whether spirituality is prevalent more among higher income group as it could be treated as a fad or is it something that is taken up seriously regardless of

income group the respondents fall in. This in no way means that higher income group respondents do not want to experience spirituality or do not have any problems. The reasons may differ in different income groups or education groups but the need to attain spirituality remains the same.

The respondents perceive the meaning of spirituality in various ways and that could be due to multiple reasons like family influence, society influence or due to their own

understanding and maturity. Each person may attribute a certain factor with spirituality but this could vary as the person matures or as per his thinking capabilities. That is the reason spirituality for some may be in the form of worship of god while for others it could be through the practice of art or music. It could be reflected as being connected to nature to some while for others it could be by rendering services to the society in general. The „music‟ in nature has

attracted many followers of spirituality as connection with higher self can be easily established for them. This connection with nature can eventually benefit the people in the

society with eco-friendly ways helping the environment. That is spirituality in real sense. Connection with higher self by connecting with nature and nurturing it.

With the religion one is born into, it is natural to accompany family members to various places of spiritual significance since childhood as is the case with most of them as reflected by the data. The primary reason to develop an affinity towards spirituality naturally is due to a multitude of factors like family customs, more proximity to rites, rituals, temples and many more. The problems that people face leads them to look for solutions in every possible way. When every other solution fails, one turns to divine intervention. Stories, experiences heard



from other people motivates them to experience the spirituality for themselves and thus it becomes the second best reason for developing liking or affinity towards spirituality.

Religion is very subjective and any means of attaining the spirituality are sought by people from every religion and putting spirituality above religion. The research study revealed a few significant observations. People of a particular religion or faith were visiting spiritual

sites of other religions. One of the reasons could be that some of these places of spiritual significance in Pune also have historic importance. Many citizens of Pune who have come from outside Pune to settle here in the course of their jobs, are very curious about these places

and want to explore the culture, understand the history and in the process they also gain spiritual experience.

Interviews with many respondents during the course of data collection brought to light the fact that spirituality and religion are not interchangeable and this only emphasizes the fact that

people are becoming more aware about spirituality and have begun to understand it as something beyond religion. , meditation, music, and nature are getting to be associated Yoga

with spirituality in an equal measure as religion. Thus spirituality is being perceived by people with multiple facets like religion, , meditation, music, nature and so on. Theses yoga

facets have always been present but people have started to realize them with a new perspective.

The factors influencing the shift in the inclination towards spirituality are treated with different levels of importance which is reflected in the ranks of these factors as voted by the

respondents. The ranks based on the arithmetic means are thus proved to be statistically significant. Stress takes the top rank followed by intolerance at the second spot. Competition and pollution for the third and fourth ranks respectively. This pollution is of environmental as

well as psychological. These factors are ranked independently but are also interlinked to become trigger points for other factors. This forces human race more towards seeking divine

solution to these problems by practicing spirituality and being associated with the related activities in their own little way.

Peace of mind has been missing from the lives of most people in this modern era. Peace of mind and happiness are the states of mind most of the respondents could relate to the most. „Sense of belonging‟ and „sense of achievement‟ are also relatable states of mind where this younger generation thinks ultimately of worldly achievements.

With the advent of technology, the younger generation stays in touch with many online platforms where they watch videos by spiritual gurus, listen to spiritual speeches, meditative music among other things. That possibly has a positive effect on this younger generation to develop the liking for spirituality or quest to acquire deeper knowledge about the same. The technology in a way has brought in many positive changes in the lives of the respondents. Younger generation prefer to take solace in this technically created virtual spiritual world and

without leaving their homes, they practice alternate methods of attaining spirituality. This younger generation is also visiting spiritual sites. This fact was supported by the feedback

given by the / institutes that provide many services for experiencing spirituality, ashramsduring the course of the research study.

Religious festivals, devotional songs ( ), discourses ( ), song-drama bhajan pravachan ( ), lectures ( ) on different subjects by eminent speakers, youth training, kirtan vyakhyaan

Bhagvad Geeta classes, women empowerment programs, distributing food to the visitors and poor and needy, arranging (it is free freshly cooked food distributed to the visitors, Langardevotees in a which is a place of worship for people following Sikh religion) on GurudwaraSaturday and Sunday, recital of holy scriptures ( ) at various places of spiritual paath pathansignificance are some of the several initiatives of these / institutes. Through these ashramsprograms the followers, worshipers, visitors get the glimpses of spirituality. The true purpose



and meaning of spirituality can be understood and experienced through these joyful activities that help not just bond with the diverse community but also makes one a better person.

6. CONCLUSIONS In a progressive world driven by human power, spirituality is something which makes human

beings realize, of an external power and internal divinity. The term spirituality can be understood as any way through which an individual realizes the connections with the external world, attains peace of mind and contentment, and becomes a better version of self where age,

income, education, occupation, gender, egos do not matter at all. Once these shackles are removed, true spirituality is experienced. That is the real purpose behind becoming spiritual is to be happy, to be giving, to be a better human being.

The perception of spirituality has not changed over the years in spite of advent of technology and excessive modernization. The people still have their roots firmly in place.

Family values have retained its hold and importance in the perception of spirituality. From the study it is evident that people are still religious, ritualistic and have also managed to add a new dimension to their understanding of the concept of spirituality by practicing various ways

in which they can attain spirituality without deviating from the roots. This has been particularly observed among the younger generation.

The major outcome or contribution of this research study has been the development of a simple scale for measuring „liking‟ or „affinity‟ towards spirituality. The scale consists of

important factors like „getting to know about spirituality through experiences of others‟,

„reading articles on spirituality‟, „listening to lectures or viewing videos by spiritual gurus‟, and „accompanying family members to places of worship or places of spiritual significance‟.

One must have holistic approach with great awareness to understand and comprehend spirituality.

This study will help in finding out the changes in the perception of the spirituality from time to time as well as will help in understanding whether the spiritually inclined people have greater resilience in adversities like COVID-19. It will help in understanding the potential of city of Pune as a spiritual tourism destination.

KEYNOTES 2. Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler. 1998. The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. 3. https://doi.org/10.18848/2154-8633/CGP/v06i03/13-27 4. https://doi.org/10.18848/2154-8633/CGP/v04i01/59268 5. https://doi.org/10.18848/2154-8633/CGP/v05i04/51123

6. https://www.dnaindia.com/blogs/post-the-wari- - -exemplary-model-of-management-is an1997491 7. https://doi.org/10.18848/2154-8633/CGP/v03i03/51058 8. http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/2/638 9. https://www.yogiapproved.com/om/yoga-spiritual-growth/ 10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15715760 11. https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/37662



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This research is funded by Prin. D. G. Karve Chair for Research in Brihan Maharashtra

College of Commerce, Pune. Swatilaxmi Gurajapu, Anushka Jain, Mitali Yarde, Siddhant Kamble, and Kajal Suryawanshi authors are also contributed in this article.

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