Aghori monk at Maha Kumbh turns out to be man who went missing 27 years ago

A Jharkhand family has claimed to have tracked a lost family member at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, the world's largest religious gathering, after a long search spanning 27 years.

Gangasagar Yadav, now a 65-year-old ‘Aghori’ monk called Baba Rajkumar, had gone missing in 1998, the family says.

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The man’s whereabouts had been unknown ever since he travelled to Patna, Bihar, reported news agency PTI. His wife Dhanwa Devi, raised their two sons, Kamlesh and Vimlesh, alone.

The missing man

Gangasagar's younger brother, Murli Yadav, said, “Over the years, we lost hope of ever seeing him again until one of our relatives attending the Kumbh Mela noticed a man resembling Gangasagar and took his photograph. The photo was sent to us and I, along with Dhanwa Devi and their two sons, rushed to the Kumbh Mela, determined to take him back.”

However, upon meeting, Baba Rajkumar denied acknowledging his past identity as Gangasagar Yadav. Rajkumar said that he was a sadhu from Varanasi and refused all connections to his past life.

While some of the family members returned home, others stayed at the Maha Kumbh Mela to keep an eye on Baba Rajkumar and his companion Sadhvi. After the festival concludes, the family plans to take legal action if the proposed DNA test confirms his identity as Gangasagar.

The man’s disappearance has significantly impacted the Yadav family, especially his children. At the time he went missing, his elder son was only two years old, while the younger was not even born.

Family demands DNA test

The family insisted that he was Gangasagar, noting that his long teeth, scar on his knee, and injury mark on the forehead were the same. His family is demanding a DNA test to confirm his identity.

“We will wait until the end of the Kumbh Mela and, if necessary, insist on a DNA test. If the test doesn't match, we will issue an apology to Baba Rajkumar,” Murli Yadav said.

(With inputs from agencies)