The scenes witnessed at the Kumbh Mela ground on Wednesday left everyone in shock. A man, fearing the loss of his relative’s body, held onto it until it reached the hospital morgue. He was terrified that if he let go, he might never see his relative again. Amidst the chaos and a crowd of millions, authorities struggled to transport the injured and deceased to the hospital. Videos showed over 50 ambulances near the Sangam post-event, with scattered shoes, slippers, blankets, bags, and clothes everywhere.
Claims suggest that this was the belongings of the devoted who had camped near the Sangam for the auspicious Mauni Amavasya. However, a stampede broke out among the crowd heading towards the Sangam, causing many to be trampled, including those resting nearby with their families. Consequently, hundreds got separated from their loved ones, and many bodies were transported to hospitals by ambulances.
30 Dead, CM Emotional
When the Aaj Tak team arrived at the Kumbh Mela's central hospital, 11 bodies lay on the floor, a sight likely to disturb many. Each day, we had seen grand images of the Kumbh, where millions bathed without incident, yet nobody imagined witnessing these tragic scenes post the divine pictures of Kumbh, where many would meet untimely deaths.
In this stampede, 30 lives were lost. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath became emotional while addressing the incident. This 'stampede' has sparked conversations worldwide, with everyone eager to know where, how, and why this happened and if there was any conspiracy. Let’s first understand the location and sector of the Kumbh where this occurred.
What Happened That Night at the Sangam?
This year’s Kumbh Mela covered almost 4,000 hectares, comprising 25 sectors and 41 ghats. This incident occurred in Sector 2, home to the most significant and essential ghat, known as the Sangam Ghat or Sangam Nose. It is here that the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers meet. Many believe that a true holy dip at the Kumbh only counts if done at the Sangam, explaining the rush of people wanting to bathe there. Hence, as devotees gathered here for the auspicious Mauni Amavasya dip, the pressure at the Sangam ghat surged dramatically.
Source: aajtak
At 2 am, just half an hour before the incident, photos of a sea of people at the Sangam emerged. Estimates suggest over 2.5 million devotees surrounded the Sangam at that moment. Police-restricted routes to the Sangam were overflowing, with people attempting to break barricades while police and Rapid Action Force personnel constantly urged restraint. These conditions prevailed half an hour before the stampede, which, according to the administration, occurred between 1:45 and 2 am. The Sangam was just 200 meters from where the event occurred.
Did VVIP Movements Exacerbate the Crowd?
Now, let's address whether VVIP movements caused the crowding. Many online claims suggest that paths were reserved for VVIPs, leading to this stampede. However, the information we have suggests these claims are misleading and not entirely accurate. During the 45-day Kumbh, the grandest Amrit Bath occurs on Mauni Amavasya only at the Sangam. It’s performed by saints and mahants of 13 different Akharas. Ordinary devotees can bathe at the Ganga and Yamuna ghats but traditionally, the saints only bathe at the Sangam Nose. This reserved route, also known as the ‘Akhara Road’, is made for their arrival.
The Akharas’ tents are set across the Ganga, and they cross temporary bridges to use this Akhara route, which is wider to accommodate their chariots. It was the same on this Mauni Amavasya, and it wasn’t for VVIPs. Police had closed temporary bridges to prevent ordinary devotees from moving towards the Sangam, urging them instead to bathe at their current ghats. However, millions descended on the Sangam despite this, causing the Naga sadhus to delay their Amrit Bath.
Because of the crowd, one Akhara’s saints had to return to their tents midway without the sacred bath, much to their chagrin. Meanwhile, the situation worsened as people who reached the Sangam waited there until morning. Crowds anticipated bathing at 4 am during the holy Brahma Muhurta and then heading back to the city, unknowingly increasing pressure at the Sangam. Unfortunately, as people settled near the Sangam, belongings were placed around, and when the stampede occurred, these resting devotees became victims, leading to the death toll of 30.
Could the Tragedy Have Been Averted?
Did the administration make no effort to control the crowd? Could this stampede have been prevented? Yes, if devotees had heeded the administration’s pleas. DIG Vaibhav Krishna had appealed via loudspeakers for people not to stay overnight at the ghats to ensure comfort for incoming pilgrims. He also advised bathing at nearby ghats instead of coming to the Sangam. Unfortunately, these appeals were ignored, leading to the congregation at the Sangam and consequently, the tragic incident.
It’s accurate that the administration’s appeals went unheeded, but it's unfair to place complete blame on the people for the incident. Examination of the Kumbh's infrastructure reveals several diverted routes aiming to manage crowds at the Sangam, causing a detour that stretched a simple km or two journey into 6 to 7 km treks.
Apart from this, the paths were narrow, unsuitable for the throngs, making reaching the Sangam akin to an ordeal. If someone walks the hefty distance to the Sangam, resting at the ghat is natural, as many did. Hence, questioning why people stayed there isn't justified. The administration faltered in crowd regulation, leading to this eventuality.
Discrepant Claims by the Government and Witnesses
Despite deploying 40,000 police personnel and 2700 CCTV cameras for crowd management, this disaster remained unprevented. The Kumbh has three types of roads: Black, for general pilgrims; Red, for VVIP movements, and Triveni Marg, linking the fairground to the Sangam. Yet, this structure collapsed during the incident.
Why do government and eyewitness accounts diverge on this incident? Police indicate that toppled barricades led one crowd towards the resting devotees, sparking chaos. Yet witnesses argue the single approach to and from the Sangam stirred jostling, precipitating the stampede.
The Significance of Mauni Amavasya Bath at the Sangam
Whether Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh, Purna Kumbh, or Maha Kumbh, the Mauni Amavasya bath emerges as the most significant ritual aimed at Moksha attainment. On this day, it’s believed nectar flows at Prayagraj’s Triveni Sangam, compelling most devotees to vow bathing at the sacred meeting point of Ganga, Yamuna, and subterranean Saraswati.
Source: aajtak
Moreover, Mauni Amavasya is dedicated to ancestors, prompting devotees to honor them through bathing at the Sangam, embarking on a fresh spiritual journey. On this day, saints, observing silence, aim for salvation through the sacred dip. This year, the Amrit Bath holds more gravity as such a conjunction occurs once every 144 years, drawing massive crowds to Sangam's ghats.
The Government's Efforts to Expand the Sangam Nose
Rumors abound that if the Uttar Pradesh government had expanded the Sangam Nose, this tragedy wouldn't have occurred. However, such claims are fundamentally false. This time, in collaboration with irrigation experts from IIT Guwahati, the government developed an additional two-hectare area at the Sangam Nose ghats. Previously accommodating 50,000 at once, now the site can hold up to 200,000 people simultaneously.
After this stampede, Kumbh Mela set a new world record. By 8 PM on Wednesday night, 76.4 million people had taken the Amrit Bath at Kumbh on Mauni Amavasya. To date, 275.8 million people have visited the Kumbh Mela. Remarkably, despite the stampede, 7.64 million people bathed in Kumbh within 20 hours.
This incident led to the modified Amrit Bath time for the 13 Akhars’ saints on Mauni Amavasya. This major departure is noteworthy since Naga saints, who had renounced worldly rights, had to forgo their precedence in Amrit Bath due to the stampede, finally beginning at 2 PM today.
