The Maha Kumbh, often described as the largest religious gathering on Earth, is a spectacle of devotion, spirituality, and faith. In 2025, the government touted it as a grand success, highlighting the massive arrangements, security measures, and infrastructural developments. But beneath this well-crafted image, the ground reality painted a grim picture of negligence, mismanagement, and tragedy.
The Maha Kumbh was not just a religious gathering—it was also a political stage. The ruling government, eager to use the event for political mileage, spent hundreds of crores on advertisements, PR campaigns, and branding. However, behind the glittering posters and well-orchestrated press briefings, a disaster was unfolding.
“On a fateful day during the Kumbh, a stampede broke out near a makeshift bridge leading to the Sangam. Eyewitnesses recount how thousands of devotees, who had waited for hours to take the sacred dip, were suddenly pushed aside as a convoy of VIPs, including politicians, bureaucrats, and high-profile religious leaders, was given priority access. In the ensuing chaos, panic gripped the crowd, leading to a deadly stampede.”
Initial reports suggested that at least 30 people had died, while many more were critically injured. However, in the days that followed, an eerie silence enveloped the tragedy. No official confirmation of the death toll was given, and bodies were discreetly removed from the site.
“The fallacy of the situation was when Chief Minister Adityanath appeared at around 9 am on television, he did not spoke on the loss of lives. Not a single word he spoke on how many people had died. he spoke only on the stampede like incident in the Kumbh Area.”
On the other hand Mela SSP Rajesh Dwivedi too tried to downplay the horrific incident. He went up to say that it was a incident in which only a few people had been injured. Even Dwivedi did not disclose the facts. He must have been given orders to wait for orders from the higher ups. Despite the fact that various Akharas decided not to go for Shahi Snan due to the incident making it amply clear that there was a major incident at the Sangam ghat.
In a shocking twist, it seems that pressure tactics worked on authorities to downplay the numbers, fearing that exposing the truth could tarnish the sanctity of the event and their own reputations.
Many families of the deceased never received official confirmation about their loved ones. Some were told their relatives had “gone missing,” while others were given vague responses.
While independent journalists tried to report on the tragedy, mainstream media remained unusually silent. The reason? Massive advertisement deals.
“The government had pumped in hundreds of crores into media houses to showcase the Maha Kumbh as a grand success. Full-page newspaper ads, primetime television segments, and social media campaigns all painted a rosy picture of the event. Any negative coverage could have jeopardized these lucrative deals.”
With no independent verification and a defensive government intent, the real number of casualties shall always remain a mystery. Some activists claim that the death toll could be significantly higher than the official figures—possibly over 100. Others suggest that the true scale of injuries and missing persons are far from the truth.
The tragedy raises a crucial question: Why should the lives of ordinary devotees be sacrificed for the convenience of VVIPs? When an event meant to celebrate faith and devotion is turned into a spectacle for the elite, it is the common people who pay the ultimate price.
“Despite the uproar in some circles, there has been no independent investigation into the incident. As a matter of fact, a three-member commit has been formed by the Governor which will submit its report to the governor in a few months. Won’t that be too little too late? The families of victims continue to wait for justice, while those responsible for the mismanagement and cover-up remain unscathed.”
As the Maha Kumbh fades from the headlines, the tragedy is at risk of being forgotten. But for those who lost their loved ones, the question remains: Will the truth ever come out, or will it be buried like the countless victims whose names we may never know?