1954 Prayag Kumbh Mela stampede
| Date | 3 February 1954 |
|---|---|
| Location | Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Cause | failure of crowd control measures |
| Deaths | 800 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 2000 |
1954 Kumbh Mela "stampede" was a major
Independence.[1]
The figures for the tragedy varied according to different sources. While
Reasons and aftermath
Ganges River and the mythical Saraswati River, where devotees perform rituals, and the site of the great baths during the Kumbh Mela
The 1954 Kumbh Mela occasion was used by politicians to connect with the Indian populace prior to India's Independence. This was the first Kumbh Mela after Independence, with more than 5 million pilgrims in attendance for the 40-day festival, at Allahabad, (today known as Prayagraj); many leading politicians visited the city during the event.
In addition to the compounding failures of
politicians,[5][4] a major factor contributing to the incident was that the Ganges River had changed course and moved in closer to the Bund (embankment) and the city, reducing the available space of the temporary Kumbh township, and restricting movement of the people.[6] Ultimately, what triggered the tragedy was a crowd surge that broke through the barriers, separating them from a procession of sadhus and holy men of various akharas, resulting in the fatal crush.[7]
After the event, Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru suggested that politicians and VIPs should refrain from visiting the Mela,
In popular culture
- There is a reference to the 1954 Kumbh Mela Stampede in the 1993 novel A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. In the novel, the event is called "Pul Mela" instead of "Kumbh Mela". It is also depicted (again as "Pul Mela"), in the 2020 television adaptation.
- In the novel written by Kalkut (Samaresh Basu), Amrita Kumbher Sandhane, the tragedy of the stampede is highlighted along with reaction of the pilgrims. It was later made into a film.
See also
- 2013 Kumbh Mela stampede
- Crowd collapses and crushes § Crowd "stampedes"
References
- ISBN 1-934145-00-9. 244
- ^ The worst stampede was in Allahabad in 1954, killing 800. The Guardian, 28 August 2003.
- TIME, 8 February 1960.
- ^ ISBN 81-7017-216-0. pp. 81, 164.
- ^ a b Politics at the Kumbh Mela[usurped] The Hindu, 23 January 2001.
- ^ ISBN 81-241-0993-1. p. 21.
- ISBN 81-7018-544-0. p. 22.
- ^ Paper 8 Title: Speaking to Subalterns/Subalterns Speaking: Pilgrims, Governments and the durghatna (tragedy) at the 1954 Kumbh Mela by Dr Kama Maclean, School of History, University of New South Wales, Australia.
- ^ "PM Modi recalls 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede at election rally in UP". The Economic Times.
- ^ "Watch: When Nehru was PM, thousands were killed in Kumbh stampede- PM Modi compares two eras". www.dnaindia.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "The Week". The Week.
- ^ Millions bathe at Hindu festival BBC News, 3 January 2007.
- ^ Kumbh Mela pictured from space - probably the largest human gathering in history BBC News, 26 January 2001.
- ^ Kumbh Mela: the largest pilgrimage - Pictures: Kumbh Mela by Karoki Lewis The Times, 22 March 2008.
- ^ "Seven die in Kumbh stampede, two drown | India News". The Times of India.
- ^ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News".
- ^ Harris, Gardiner (10 February 2013). "Deadly Stampede at Hindu Festival That Draws Millions". The New York Times.