Photos taken  January 28, 2001. A lot of people get lost in the sea of humanity at the Mela. There are camps to help pilgrims re-unite with there families. Tony covers that aspect in the following photos. 

From left to right seated: Sri. S. P. Pandey, who manages this lost women and children's camp; Zenzibar’s reporter, Tony Fernandes; Smt. Bahuguna who, with the late Indira Gandhi, first set up this camp four Kumbha Melas ago in 1954; a camp volunteer and young boy still waiting for his parents. If you wish to know more about people who get lost at the mela, we will post a special report on it shortly.

Rambibi, who is 65, got separated from her 75 year old husband early this morning, while he went to get his head shaved. They are from Sultanpur, 150km away. She is pictured here being consoled by a volunteer scout. 2.55pm.

These two women, one from Madhya Pradesh and the other from Bengal have been here for ten days. They just returned from their daily snan while still waiting to connect with their loved ones. The woman in the middle is a volunteer who helps to provide mental support at the camp.

While I was in the lost people’s camp I witnessed a number of successful reunions. This was one. Grandfather Ramsunder Yadav turned up with Sanjay the brother of his two missing granddaughters Rechia and Iteshia who were separated from the group this morning.