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NASHIK, INDIA, August 27, 2003: Thirty-seven pilgrims, including 28 women, were killed and 57 injured today in a stampede and drowning at the Kumbh Mela here. The stampede occurred in a narrow, winding bylane leading to the banks of the Godavari in Nashik around 12:40 pm when devotees walking down towards the ghats jostled with those returning after the holy dip. Several explanations are given for the cause. The BBC has seized on one uncorroborated version that has a Hindu “holy man” tossing coins to the crowd caused a stampede. Hinduism Today’s reporter, Rajiv Malik, is at the Mela now and reports that poor crowd control measures were to blame, and there was no incident of a holy man tossing coins. He further states that the saints and sadhus at the Mela are upset by the circulation of this story which puts the blame on them instead of on lapses in organization of the massive event. In this case, the lapse was pilgrims streaming toward the river to share a narrow lane with those returning, whereas at the last Mela in Prayag, the flow of pilgrims was carefully channeled through one-way avenues. Hundreds of thousands of devotee continued to arrive on the banks of the Godavari, unfazed by the incidents. Security was later stepped up around the Ramkund bathing area.

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