Prayagraj: The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad chief, Ravindra Puri, on Wednesday, said that the situation in Maha Kumbh is getting under control following the stampede on the occasion of ‘Mauni Amavasya’.
A stampede-like situation unfolded early Wednesday as millions of devotees thronged the Triveni Sangam for the holy dip. Around 30 women were injured when barricades collapsed, causing panic among the crowd.
Speaking to IANS, Puri said, “It is an unfortunate incident; no one is at fault. It was such a large crowd. We also had called on everyone to come to Maha Kumbh, the government had also called on everyone. We wanted this to be a memorable Maha Kumbh. However, maybe it was not in our destiny.”
“Still, we want the Maha Kumbh to be grand. Everyone from across the country and the world is here in the Maha Kumbh. Controlling such a large crowd becomes a bit impossible. Police can’t use force in such situations as it is a matter of faith,” he said.
“However, we are working to ensure that everything is under control, and it is slowly getting under the control of the administration,” Puri further said.
“I would like to say that at this time, those who are against our Sanatan always want to fail our Maha Kumbh. You must have seen that people had also said that the land of Prayagraj belongs to the Waqf Board. Big conspiracies are being plotted against us. I would like to appeal to everyone that you should not pay attention to rumours,” he added.
Puri said that the ‘Amrit Snan’ (holy dip) on Mauni Amavasya at the Maha Kumbh was delayed due to excessive crowds.
“Due to the large crowd, the ‘Amrit Snan’ couldn’t take place. Now, my efforts with the administration are to ensure the holy dip happens quickly. The crowd is reducing, and our bath will take place soon as planned,” Puri told IANS.
The incident occurred nearly a kilometre away from the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. The sudden surge of devotees led to several women fainting, exacerbating the situation.
Rescue teams rushed the injured to nearby hospitals, with those in critical condition being transferred to Bailey Hospital and Swaroop Rani Medical College.
Jay Prakash Swami, a witness, recounted, “I got trapped under the crowd and couldn’t get up. We were all stuck, but I managed to get out first and then helped my family.”
Vidhya Sahu, who travelled from Belgavi, Karnataka, shared, “We were just walking when people behind us pushed, trapping us near a pole.”
A crowd diversion plan was implemented at Maha Kumbh and the entry of devotees was halted. Groups of devotees were stopped on the outskirts of the city.
The Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya holds immense spiritual significance, especially this year due to the rare ‘Triveni Yog’ celestial alignment, which occurs only once every 144 years.
(IANS)
