‘Kumbh Ke Mele Me Khona’ (To Be Lost In Kumbh Mela) is common as millions of devotees have are gathered and crowd management is hectic, particularly in Mahakumbh 2025, which is happening after 144 years, it has turned out to be one hell of a task, and especially for families with children, it has become a nightmare.
But to keep a child from getting lost, a simple, effective method has emerged, “handwritten notes on the back of these little souls, preferably pinned, carrying essential contact details.
The video, shared widely on Instagram, shows children navigating through dense crowds with small sheets of paper attached to their clothing. These sheets contain their home addresses and phone numbers, ensuring that if they get separated from their families, they can be quickly identified and reunited.
See the Video:
It is hailed as one of the classic examples of desi jugaad! India is quite well know for innovative and low-cost solutions. While more modern tracking devices such as GPS watches are possible, they certainly may not be within the financial reach of each family, or reliable in an event of such large gatherings when network congestion will be a huge problem. At least, this simple handwritten note offers a pretty practical and instantaneous safety measure.
Social media users hailed the effort by calling it “genius yet practical solution for child safety” in overwhelming crowds. One noted, *””India’s jugaad always finds a way to tackle big problems with simple solutions!”
Another said, “This method should be used globally at large events.”
The Challenges of Crowd Management at Mahakumbh
Mahakumbh is said to be the biggest spiritual gathering globally, where thousands of devotees from every part of India as well as others come and get lost here because of this mammoth gathering, so child loss is not negligible. Previously also, during all Mahakumbhs, a lost-and-found camp is conducted to connect families with the lost people, but this time around, with these handwritten notes, it seems it is proving very efficient as an anticipatory action.
