At 1am, we joined the stream of humanity. We have been 30m from the photographers’ stage when the gang immediately stopped,” write TOI photographers Basabdatta Sarkar & Krishna Roy. “There was a pushback, followed by screams… Holy chants turned to cries for help.” Since we arrived Sunday in Prayagraj, all we heard have been chants of “Har Har Gange” and “Har Har Mahadev” as thousands and thousands of devotees made their strategy to Triveni Sangam. All drawn by the religion that bathing within the holy waters can result in salvation.Wednesday, we knew, was the large day – Mauni Amavasya – probably the most auspicious of the six dates for the Amrit Snan. Crores of trustworthy have been anticipated. Although there have been six ghats, it was Sangam that drew everybody. There was a brief window until 4am for devotees earlier than solely sadhus have been allowed entry to the river.By 1am, we joined the stream of humanity – to not bathe, however to achieve a photographers’ platform, hoping to seize the dimensions of this grand non secular gathering. We have been simply 30m from the stage when the gang immediately stopped. A pointy pushback got here, adopted by piercing screams. First girls, then youngsters and males. “Something must have happened. Is it a stampede?” was our first thought.As panic took over, folks rushed in all instructions. We sprinted to the platform and by some means climbed up. From there, we noticed a sea of heads coming up and down, with some immediately getting sucked in and disappearing. The holy chants had been changed by determined cries for assist.Quickly, police whistles, ambulance sirens, and the sight of RAF personnel and mounted police stuffed the air. It felt like an eternity earlier than the ambulances lastly left, carrying the lifeless and injured. The aftermath was haunting – an eerie silence, damaged solely by the occasional cries of youngsters, heaps of discarded garments, footwear, and luggage coated the bottom, greater than we had ever seen in our lives. We solely hoped nobody was trapped beneath them.We gathered our ideas and cameras. We had come to seize vignettes of a vibrant non secular celebration. We’re leaving with frames of a heartbreaking tragedy.
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