‘Our world ended in 30 seconds’: The 16 faces of Vrindavan boat tragedy and the fatal lack of life jackets

Hours after reaching Vrindavan, a group of at least 37 pilgrims decided to visit the Samadhi of Devraha Baba, located on the opposite bank of the Yamuna River. They hired a boat to cross the water. Because a single boat could not safely accommodate the entire group, 8 to 10 of them shifted to a second boat. As they sailed across the Yamuna, the chants of “Radhe Radhe” reverberated across the water once again—only to be heard for the final time.

Within 30 to 40 seconds, the boat ferrying over 30 pilgrims crashed into a metal drum of a floating pontoon bridge and capsized. The voices that were singing hymns suddenly turned into screams for help. Later, viral videos surfaced showing that none of the pilgrims was wearing life jackets.

On that boat were the club’s founders, Yashu Bajaj and Lovi Behal, along with Lovi’s entire family and extended kin. While Lovi, his father Vijay Behal, and Yashu Bajaj survived, Lovi’s elder brother Madhur and mother Kavita drowned. The Behal family lost four members in total, including Vijay’s cousin Charanjit Behal and his wife Chandan (Pinky). At least four other victims were young men who regularly played instruments and sang in devotion to Krishna.

From the semi-rural town of Jagraon to the posh localities of Ludhiana city, and the small border towns of Abohar and Jalalabad in the Fazilka district, the tragedy has left the state of Punjab grieving. While 15 bodies were recovered and cremated till Wednesday, the sixteenth body of one Pankaj Malhotra was recovered from Yamuna river Thursday. The Indian Express spoke to all 16 families to understand the indescribable pain and trauma left in the wake of this disaster.

Kavita Rani Behal, 52, and her son Madhur Behal, 27

(Gita Colony, Jagraon)

Kavita’s husband, Vijay Behal, who runs a photostat shop at the Jagraon court complex, recalled how the trip was meant to be a moment of family bonding. His younger son, Lovi, had founded the Banke Bihari Club because he had accompanied his father to religious events since childhood. Lovi became an ardent follower of Radha-Krishna, visiting Vrindavan every few months to sing bhajans. Eventually, the elder son, Madhur, a law graduate, joined his brother in his devotion.

Kavita Rani Behal and her son Madhur Behal.

“It is God’s will that has taken away my wife and elder son,” a shattered Vijay told The Indian Express. “But had life jackets been provided, many lives might have been saved. We will certainly go to Vrindavan again, but this void can never be filled.”

Yashu Bajaj, the co-founder who is seen in the viral video leading the “Radhe Radhe” chants, described the chaos: “We were all on one boat initially. A few of us were asked to shift because it was overloaded. Within 30 seconds of moving, our world ended. We saw the floating bridge and shouted at the boatman to take a U-turn. He didn’t listen in time, and we crashed. I survived by holding onto a rope thrown by a rescue boat. The water was so deep that some victims could not be revived even after being pulled out.”

Lovi Behal, who lost both his mother and brother, could only say: “A devotee never dies… Radha-Krishna is keeping them close.”

Charanjit Behal, 63, and Chandan ‘Pinky’ Behal, 59
(Ward number 17, Jagraon)

Charanjit Behal owned a small bookstore in Jagraon, while his wife, Pinky, was a homemaker. Their only son, Shubham Behal, expressed a pain that few can comprehend, “I never imagined I would have to cremate both my parents on the same day. Just hours before the tragedy, around 10.30 am, I spoke to them. They were enjoying the trip. My mother was even giving me instructions about incomplete household chores.”

Charanjit Behal and his wife Chandan ‘Pinky’ Behal.

Shubham’s young son is perhaps the most affected.

“My son doesn’t know how to live without his grandmother. They were inseparable. I don’t know what I will answer when he asks for his Dadi tomorrow,” Shubham added.

Asha Rani, 57
(Bhiwani, Haryana)

Asha Rani

Asha Rani, a homemaker from Bhiwani, had joined the group after being encouraged by a relative in Ludhiana. Her nephew, Anmol, shared that Asha’s sister, Radha Arora, was also on the boat and barely survived.

“My mother is still battling an infection from the river water. My aunt wasn’t so lucky. She was a simple woman who constantly recited ‘Mere pyaare Banke Bihari.’ She is survived by her husband, two sons, and a daughter.”

Rakesh Gulati, 64, and Anju Gulati, 62

(Dugri, Ludhiana)

Mohit Gulati, the son of Rakesh and Anju, finds himself repeatedly replaying the last video his mother sent him from the boat. In the footage, the Yamuna flows beside them as Rakesh, teary-eyed and immersed in devotion, chants “Radha Rani ki jai.”

Rakesh Gulati and his wife Anju Gulati.

“My father was deeply involved in social work and often organised religious gatherings in our colony,” Mohit said. “During a jagraata on March 28, he randomly asked the orchestra to play the song ‘Kal khel mein hum na ho, gardish mein taare rahenge sada…’ We never knew it was a premonition.”

Anju ran a small boutique, and the couple often travelled on pilgrimages. On the day of the accident, Anju had told Mohit to keep his phone nearby because she wanted to show him the darshan of the Banke Bihari Temple via video call.

“She sent me a video from the boat at 2.24 pm. Everything seemed perfect. By 4:00 pm, my sister Damini, who was also in touch with them, called in a panic. My parents used to visit the neighbourhood Gurdwara every day. Now, there is no one left to tell me, ‘Don’t worry, your mother is here’.”

Manik Tandon, 29
(Abohar, Fazilka)

Manik Tandon

Manik Tandon, a marketing professional in a steel firm, had his whole life ahead of him. He was scheduled to get married on September 12. Manik was the nephew of Kavita Behal and was joining the group for his second trip to Vrindavan. His friend, Rajan Wadhwa, said, “We spoke that morning. He was so excited and said we would meet as soon as he returned. His wedding preparations were in full swing. He was a massive devotee of Radha-Krishna.”

Ishan Kataria, 26
(Kapoor Enclave, Jagraon)

Ishan was a graduate in agriculture who had recently applied for banking exams. His family, who owns a grocery store, described him as the “laadla” (darling) of the house. Minutes before the tragedy, he is seen in the viral video singing hymns with the group.

Ishan Kataria

“He used to go to Vrindavan every year,” his father, Naresh Kataria, said. “He dreamed of taking us on a tour abroad once he settled into his career. There is nothing I can forget about my son; he is still living for us in our memories. He always believed that whatever God does is for the best.”

Yash Bhalla alias Yuvraj, 19
(Jassian Road, Ludhiana)

Yash was the youngest victim. A Class 12 student, he was a talented dholak player for the Banke Bihari Club. In the final video, his enthusiasm is palpable as he plays the dholak with full vigour.

Yash Bhalla alias Yuvraj

His mother, Sunita Devi, was inconsolable. “He insisted on going to Vrindavan. We never stopped him. A night before the accident, he told me not to call him repeatedly because he would be busy playing dholak in the temples. I just want my son back. He worshipped his dholak and did sewa at the gaushala every day. What wrong did he do? Who will play dholak in our house now?”

Meenu Bansal, 54, and Dinky Bansal, 21
(Dugri, Ludhiana)

Meenu and her daughter Dinky died together. Dinky had decided to join the trip at the last minute to be with her mother. Meenu’s husband, Anoop, and son, Nikhil, are left to pick up the pieces.

Dinky Bansal and her mother Meenu Bansal.

“In our colony, the families are very close,” Nikhil said. “My sister was so attached to our mother that she couldn’t stay behind. Dinky’s travel wasn’t planned. My mother’s neighbour, Rajinder Kaur, survived but is still in deep trauma. My daughters used to sleep with their Dadi every night. We have to accept God’s will and try to live with their happy memories instead of blaming anyone.”

Rishabh Sharma, 19
(Ram Nagar, Jagraon)

Rishabh was a law student at CT University and an aspiring cricketer. At just 15, his cricket coach had suggested he read the Bhagavad Gita to help him focus. Since then, he became a devoted follower.

Rishabh Sharma

“He once told his mother he wanted to rent a flat in Vrindavan and live there forever,” his father, Umesh Sharma, shared. Rishabh celebrated his last birthday on February 15 in Vrindavan. Umesh is vocal about the negligence involved: “The administration is responsible. Had they provided life jackets, many lives could have been saved. The boatman was at fault, but so are the officials who allow boats to operate without safety licenses. It is criminal.”

Sapna Hans, 55
(Guru Ram Das Nagar, Moga)

Sapna Hans ran a small beauty parlour to help support her family. Despite her deep religious faith, she had a secret fear. “My mother was hydrophobic. She feared water intensely,” her son, Kunal, revealed.

Sapna Hans

Sapna had gone on the trip with her husband, Anil. By a twist of fate, Anil and a cousin had shifted to the second boat and survived. Sapna remained on the boat that capsized. She was a regular at bhajan kirtan groups in Moga and is survived by her husband and two sons.

Monika Chaudhary, 24
(Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana)

Monika had been married for only five months and was preparing to move to Australia in June to join her husband. Her father-in-law, Rajinder Chaudhary, said the visa paperwork was nearly complete.

Monika Chaudhary

Monika had travelled with her mother-in-law, Saroj, who survived the tragedy by clinging to an object in the water. Monika’s body was recovered four days later, nearly 8 km away from the spot where the boat capsized.

Pankaj Malhotra, 40
(Jalalabad, Fazilka)

Six days after the accident, the body of Pankaj Malhotra, 40, a resident of Jalalabad in Punjab’s Fazilka district, was found from the river Thursday (April 16). He had travelled to Vrindavan with his aunt Kavita Behal and around 130 other pilgrims. Kavita and her son Madhur also died in the tragedy.

Pankaj Malhotra

Struggling to hold his tears, Pankaj’s father Sukhdev Malhotra said, “My son has been found. We will reach home for his last rites after the autopsy is done. He has a wife and two small children waiting. There were no safety arrangements on that boat—no life jackets, nothing.” His father, a retired government employee, remained at the banks of Yamuna for six days as divers searched for Pankaj.