In the wake of the stampede at Maha Kumbh on Wednesday, several Akharas have decided to call off the ‘Amrit Snan’ of Mauni Amavasya and extend full cooperation to the administration to restore order.
The tragic incident unfolded early Wednesday as millions of devotees thronged the Triveni Sangam for the sacred holy dip. A sudden rush led to the collapse of barricades, triggering chaos and panic.
About 30 women were reportedly injured in the incident, leading to fresh controversies over crowd control at one of the world's largest religious congregations.
After the incident, Nirmohi Akhara and Akhil Bhartiya Shri Panch Digambar Ani Akhara declared that they would not be taking part in the Amrit Snan this year, either, in an effort to avert further mayhem and violence.
This came in the wake of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri's announcement to call the 'Amrit Snan' following the tragic accident.
Talking to IANS, Nirmohi Akhara President Mahant Rajendra Das said, "As we were preparing for the Amrit Snan, news of the unfortunate incident reached us. After collective discussions, all members of our Akhara decided not to participate in the Amrit Snan.
"We stand with the administration in this difficult time and urge devotees to complete their snan peacefully and return home. No one is to be blamed at this moment. The matter is under investigation, and while some suspect a conspiracy, our priority is to support the authorities in managing the situation," he added.
Akhi Bhartiya Shri Panch Digambar Ani Akhara chief Vaishnav Das Maharaj said the incident was unfortunate.
"Who is responsible for this, and where the lapse occurred, is for the government and administration to determine. From a spiritual perspective, we see this as a consequence of actions against nature. This is a natural disaster," he said.
Emphasising the gravity of the situation, he added, "In such circumstances, how can we proceed with the holy dip? That is why the Akharas have decided to call off the snan. No one will oppose this, and no one will take a bath. The administration has nothing to do with this decision; only one official had come to inform us.
He has been taking a veiled dig at the frequent VIP visits: "Repeated VIP visits led to special arrangements for them, but similar arrangements were not made for common people. Maybe that is why this unfortunate thing has happened. Now the administration is trying to put everything right.
The stampede took place almost a kilometre away from the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. The rush of devotees left several women in a state of fainting that made the situation much worse.
Rushed to nearest hospitals, most of the critically injured were admitted to Bailey Hospital and Swaroop Rani Medical College.
To mitigate the crisis, the authorities introduced a crowd diversion plan, halting the entry of devotees into the city and stopping large groups on the outskirts.
The accident has once again raised questions over the preparedness of the administration in handling such a huge influx of devotees, especially with more key bathing dates approaching in the Maha Kumbh calendar.
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