Title - Subdued festivity at Kumbh after tragedy

Lucknow : Sunday's stampede at Allahabad railway station that killed 36 devotees, including women, and left many other injured, has impacted the festive mood at the sprawling Kumbhnagar, the makeshift township on 58 sq km on the bank of the “Sangam.”Although religious programmes were held at different “ashrams” (makeshift mutts) and camps of the religious personalities, the atmosphere was subdued, according to the devotees. “The bhajans and kirtans (religious songs) were being played at the ‘mela’ but the festive mood was missing,” said Ravi Upadhyay, a devotee from Gorakhpur.Special prayers were being held at the “ashrams” and “yajnas” ( a ritual by the fire) were organised at many places for the dead in which a large number of sadhus, saints and ordinary devotees took part.Special “yajnas” were held at the “ashrams” of Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Sarswati and Swami Swaroopananad Sarswati. “We also prayed for the smooth bathing on the next shahi snan,” the saints said.The saints also mourned the death of the devotees in the stampede and observed a two-minute silence at their camps and ashrams.

The sadhus and saints of different akharas have urged the government to make foolproof arrangements at the Mahakumbh for the next important shahi snan (royal bath) on the occasion of “Basant Panchami” on Friday.

They also demanded a thorough probe into the tragedy.

“A large number of devotees will be coming at Mahakumbh for the holy dip on Friday. The government should take measures to prevent recurrence of the tragedy,” said Mahant Hari Giri, secretary of Juna Akhara.