Before participating in the Kumbh Mela, a significant Hindu festival, Draupadi Devi handed her husband a small pouch containing a slip of paper with his phone number, anticipating the possibility of getting separated in the large crowd. This year’s event, termed Maha Kumbh, is notable for its celestial alignment occurring once every 144 years, attracting an even larger number of pilgrims.
During the festival, which runs from mid-January to late February, over 400 million attendees are expected in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, where the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers converge. Hindus believe a mythical river, the Saraswati, also joins at this sacred site.
The temporary infrastructure for the event spans 10,000 acres, featuring hospitals, bridges, street lamps, and extensive sanitation facilities. Despite the spiritual cleansing sought by bathers, the chaos of the event can lead to individuals becoming lost, as experienced by Ms. Devi when she lost sight of her husband and her pouch.
Ms. Devi sought assistance at the festival's lost-and-found center, which serves as a crucial resource for those separated from their companions. The center, supported by state and central government funding, has faced challenges, including a recent stampede that resulted in fatalities.
Lost-and-found volunteers assist thousands daily, utilizing a public address system for announcements in various languages. The project manager noted that most cases arise near bathing sites due to the rush of devotees. Many attendees, unfamiliar with large crowds, often panic when separated from their families.
When a person is reported missing, details are entered into a computerized system that employs facial-recognition technology, facilitating communication with police and other offices. Those found are temporarily housed in a designated area with beds made from cardboard boxes donated by a corporation.
In a previous Kumbh event, the lost-and-found center managed 39,000 cases, with a majority resolved. Emotional reunions are common, as illustrated by the experiences of various attendees searching for lost family members.
One couple, Tara Chand Bhat and Shanti Devi Bhat, spent a day searching for Ms. Bhat’s mother after becoming separated during a parade. Another attendee, Sudesh Sharma, expressed frustration over the challenges faced in reuniting with her sisters, who had no means of communication.
In a similar situation, Sant Ram arrived at the center in only his underwear after losing his family. He successfully contacted his son with the help of a police officer. Ultimately, Ms. Devi was reunited with her husband after several hours, facilitated by the efforts of lost-and-found volunteers who connected with her village's former headman.
Despite initial difficulties in communication, the couple's reunion highlighted the importance of the lost-and-found services at the Kumbh Mela, which aim to assist pilgrims during this massive gathering.