The Kumbh Mela, often associated with stories of lost families, has taken an unusual turn. A Jharkhand family believes they have found their long-lost relative, but there’s a twist-the man they claim is Gangasagar Yadav, who went missing 27 years ago, now lives as an Aghori monk and refuses to recognize them.
Gangasagar disappeared in 1998 after a trip to Patna, leaving behind his wife, Dhanwa Devi, and their two young sons. Over the years, the family had given up hope of ever finding him. But fate intervened when a relative attending the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj spotted a sadhu resembling Gangasagar and sent a photograph home.
Murli Yadav, Gangasagar’s younger brother, along with Dhanwa Devi and her sons, rushed to Prayagraj to confront the monk-now known as Baba Rajkumar. However, he denied any connection to his past life. The monk, accompanied by a Sadhvi, claimed he was from Varanasi and dismissed the family’s claims.
The family, however, remains firm. They pointed out his distinct long teeth, a forehead injury, and a scar on his knee as proof of his identity. Determined to get answers, they have sought police intervention and demanded a DNA test.
“It is generally said, Kumbh mein bichhde kabhi nahi milte (those who get lost at the Kumbh never reunite), but here the case is different. Kumbh has united the family, but the problem is, the monk is yet to recognize his family,†said Murli Yadav.
The family has decided to wait until the end of the Kumbh Mela. If necessary, they will insist on a DNA test. “If the results prove we are wrong, we will apologize,†Murli added.
For now, some family members have returned home, while others continue to watch over Baba Rajkumar and his companion, hoping for a moment of recognition-or a scientific resolution-to finally bring closure to a decades-old mystery.
