The day after Mahakumbh stampede: Stepped-up security, cautious devotees and an eerie silence

The day after the stampede, traces of the incident are still visible – not only in the increased security detail and police pickets all the way to the ghat but also in the demeanour of the nervous devotees and the uneasy calm there.

Ambulances are now parked as close to the ghat as possible. With police pickets and strict policing still in force at the borders of the city, there is a visible decline in devotee numbers at the mela – according to official estimates, some 1.52 crore people had taken a dip in the Sangam until 2 pm, the place where the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers merge, as opposed to 2.39 crore on January 28, the day before the stampede.

At the ghats, there’s heavy deployment of security, not only police but also paramilitary forces such as the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

“The rush was huge yesterday. The pressure had started building a day before so we took our belongings and moved to a distance,” says Neeraj who sells puja items such as flowers and diyas at the ghat.

A police announcement for vendors interrupts him: “Please take your wares away from the ghats”.

At a distance, security personnel are seen asking some people to step away from the ghat. Another announcement warns people not to stray too close to the river.

“We are trying to persuade people, especially women, not to stay too long at the ghat,” a policeman says.

But neither the dense fog nor the stampede has deterred some from taking a dip at the Sangam. Sangeeta Mishra from Delhi is one of 10 women making their way to the ghat, determined yet cautious. Firmly gripping the rope, she says she’s aware of the stampede but is still determined to complete what she had set out for.

“All of us came in a bus from Delhi. We work as domestic help and do other odd jobs. We saw the news of the stampede on our way here. We are taking precautions but will not return without a dip at the Sangam,” she says.