'More than 23,000 people have been separated in the last 14 days. But we have been able to unite almost all of them. There are only a few people here but many more get lost everyday. More than 5,000 people were lost on the last big bathing day' says Nandlal Tripathi, one of the co-ordinators at the Kumbh Mela Lost and Found office.

Alarmingly, it is predicted that for the largest of the main bathing days (Shahi Snan) on the Wednesday 24th (Mauni Amavasya) - a further 25,000 people alone will be separated.

Sixty year old Maiya Devi is amongst the few who are still waiting. She had arrived at the mela with her sister-in-law, from the neighbouring state of Bihar. She got separated as soon as they arrived in the mela area. ‘I have no money. I don’t have any warm clothes with me. I am surviving on the puffed rice I’d packed with me. I am scared to go anywhere, as I am alone,’ said Maiya Devi. However she did take the holy dip with fellow pilgrims like her, who have been separated. ‘ I will leave tomorrow. I have to go without a (rail) ticket,’ said Maiya Devi. She’s lost her sister-in-law but she did manage to take the dip.

The lost and found centre is working round the clock to look after these separated souls. An additional force of six scouts has been put into service to help the volunteers. Announcements are made through the three thousand loudspeakers branched all over the Mela. The police have put up five computerised centres to co-ordinate and help the pilgrims. These centres keep a record of lost people and are connected to each other online to share information.

Brahma Dev Singh, 81, came to the Mela with his wife and neighbours. He suffers from arthritis and cataracts. ‘My knees were hurting a lot so I decided to take some rest. I thought I saw them walking towards a temple but when I reached there, nobody was there. It must be my cataracts,’ said Brahma Dev. He pulled himself to the riverbank to take the holy dip but is worried about his wife, Ram Jyoti Devi. ‘I will wait for her. I cannot back home alone without her,’ said Brahma Dev.

Sumitra Devi, 60, shared Brahma Dev’s worry. She was separated from her husband on the Allahabad railway station - three days before. ‘I have all the warm clothes. He was wearing just a thin shirt. I cannot sleep at night while he is shivering in the cold out there,’ said Sumitra. The journey to the Kumbh has not been easy: her bag, with all the money they were carrying, was stolen in the train. ‘It must be some sin I had committed,’ reasons Sumitra.

They’ve lost their near ones, but still went for the dip, holding tight to faith and belief. Faith in their religion that what they are doing is right and the belief that, having taken the dip, they will be reunited.

The fact remains that in single day 25,000 people will be separated from their kin - some permanently.