 "Presumed dead in Maha Kumbh stampede, UP man walks back to his own 'tehrvi' in Prayagraj")
synopsis
In a dramatic turn of events, a man in his 60s who went missing since the Jan 29 stampede in Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, walked back to his own 'tehrvi' on Tuesday.
In a dramatic turn of events, a man in his 60s who went missing since the Jan 29 stampede in Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, walked back to his own 'tehrvi' (the 13th-day post-death ritual) on Tuesday.
Khunti Guru was completely unaware of the chaos his disappearance had triggered. Nearly two weeks had passed before Khunti Guru finally recalled his humble 10x12 room in Chahchand Gali on Zero Road, where the community had already accepted his supposed death. In his absence, a religious ceremony had been arranged to pay respects to him who was thought to be no more.
But things took a turn when ‘deceased’ himself hopped off an e-rickshaw, grinning at his bewildered neighbors.
"I slept rather long... could be a few days," Khunti Guru said, shrugging off the stunned silence that greeted him.
The grief-stricken community, which had been praying for his soul, erupted into cheers, quickly shifting from mourning to a full-fledged feast.
According to a report by Times of India (TOI), social worker Abhai Awasthi recalled how Khunti Guru had stepped out on the evening of January 28, informing people that he was heading for a dip at the Sangam on Mauni Amavasya.
"The stampede happened early the next morning, and we grew worried when there was no sign of him. We searched everywhere but found no trace. Eventually, we assumed the worst and performed his last rites," Awasthi told TOI.
Just as the final prayers were being recited, a familiar man emerged from an e-rickshaw.
"Our beloved Khunti Guru smiled and asked, 'What are you people up to?' It’s hard to put into words how we felt at that moment," Awasthi recounted.
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