Search the Internet          Tips

Over 40,000 go missing on Mauni Amavasya at Kumbh Mela

Sharat Pradhan in Kumbh Nagari, Allahabad

Mauni Amavasya, the most auspicious bathing day at the six-week-long Maha Kumbh Mela festival, might have showered the much-sought-after amrit (nectar) on 25 million people who had converged in Allahabad for a 'divine' dip at the holy Triveni Sangam. But for at least 40,000 poor, illiterate souls who were reported 'missing' on the day, it was a nightmare.

The two 'lost and found' camps at the very gateway to the distant Sangam were overflowing with men, women and children huddled in the tiny space allotted to them.

"We registered 29,790 persons in our camp over the past 24 hours," said 76-year-old Rajaram Tiwari, who has been running the 'lost and found' camp at the Kumbh since 1946 under the banner of the Bharat Sewa Dal, his voluntary organisation.

Congressman Shekhar Bahuguna, who runs a similar camp for women and children under a voluntary body named for his father, the late chief minister Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, recorded as many as 10,759 missing persons on Thursday.

Tiwari, who has long experience of running such a show with 150 volunteers, told rediff.com, "I have never seen such a long missing list in any of the five 12-yearly Kumbhs, six four-yearly Ardh Kumbhs and 46 Magh Melas that I have witnessed," he said.

Though both groups of volunteers eventually successfully reunited more than 90 per cent of the missing persons with their families, the sight at the camps was still pathetic. More than 2,000 persons occupied every available inch of the 7000 square feet allotted to Bharat Sewa Dal. With people squatting in a tight squeeze in a single tent, the place looked like a mini mela (fair) within the larger Kumbh Mela.

People were literally falling over each other and the organisers were finding it difficult to even make announcements, what to speak of catering to their basic minimum needs for food and sanitation. "With such little space we could not make more than two toilets," Tiwari explained, ruing the fact that his requests for larger space were turned down by the Mela administration.

Most of the missing persons were from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. While some cried, others looked lost and bewildered.

While the volunteers were confident of ensuring the return of most of the inmates of the camps to their homes, the missing ones looked upon any and everyone with hope. Only the bureaucrats in the Mela administration remained indifferent to the woes of these people.

"Our main bathing day has passed off peacefully, which was our key concern. There is nothing to worry about the missing few; they will get back to their homes sooner or later," remarked Mela commissioner Sadakant.

Complete coverage of the Maha Kumbh Mela

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report