At the age of 11 years as a school boy, I witnessed an unforgettable tragedy of Kumbh Snan at Triveni Sangam. On February 3, nearly 50 lakh pilgrims had gathered in Allahabad, a city with a population of 5-6 lakhs then .
Like other houses our house received uninvited pilgrim guests for overnight shelter .Men and women gate -crashed into the house and begged for shelter. We had no option but to agree..
Past midnight around 2 AM leaving our house unattended we hurriedly left for Sangam, a distance of 5-6 miles.
Thousands of people in milling crowds almost uncontrollable hurriedly walked towards Triveni Sangam of Ganga Yamuna and Saraswati which flowed that very night of Mauni Amavasya of the year to meet and merge with other two so as to make the event Triveni Sangam as per Hindu religious texts.
My elder brother Prakash had cleverly dressed himself in NCC uniform and also carried a short baton. It somewhat helped us part of the way as we were not very far from Sangam .
Suddenly. we were told by people pushing us forcefully ahead that Naga Sadhus would take bath on priority. Almost losing balance of steps we some how reached Sangam around 4AM and had a few essential dips.I too followed all in family and prayed for selection to become. Collector as adult. This was the pledge and prayer ingrained in my mind by parents , especially my father who had made a diary note and pledge after my birth in December 1942.
We all somehow managed to get out and made our way up towards Allahabad Fort and were asked to follow a circuitous route way back via Bairana ,Rambagh metre gauge Railway Station and Zero Road bus station from where we were allowed to return home covering a distance of altogether 30 kms both ways included. We had nothing to eat except roasted gram and puffed rice and banana fruit. Dead tired and with dusty body we returned home around 3PM.
Streets and drains were filth filled with stench in the air everywhere. I don't recall how we managed to regain and recover our health and spirits.
Next day I witnessed a truck carrying hundreds of shoes sandals and chappals of pilgrims who had left them behind.
Radio the only means of communication announced hundreds or more than thousand deaths I cannot recall . As yet I have not made efforts to find out the actual or approximate number of deaths.
Down memory lane, the Kumbh tragedy of 1954 remains unforgettable .
Note–Google search revealed 800 deaths in Kumbh of February 1954.