5 4 ▁at ▁K umb ha ▁M ela ▁on ▁ 3 ▁February ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁in ▁Al la hab ad ▁in ▁U tt ar ▁Pr adesh ▁state ▁in ▁India . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁bath ing ▁day ▁of ▁Ma uni ▁Am avas ya ▁( New ▁Moon ), ▁when ▁the ▁incident ▁took ▁place . ▁During ▁the ▁festival ▁ 4 – 5 ▁million ▁pil gr ims ▁had ▁taken ▁part ▁that ▁year , ▁which ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁K umb h ▁M ela ▁after ▁the ▁Independ ence . ▁▁ ▁The ▁figures ▁for ▁the ▁tra ged y ▁varied ▁according ▁to ▁different ▁sources . ▁While ▁The ▁Guardian ▁reported ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 0 0 ▁people ▁dead ▁and ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁injured , ▁ ▁T IME ▁reported ▁" no ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 3 5 0 ▁people ▁were ▁tr ample d ▁to ▁death ▁and ▁d rown ed , ▁ 2 0 0 ▁were ▁counted ▁missing , ▁and ▁over ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁were ▁injured ". ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁book ▁Law ▁and ▁Order ▁in ▁India ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 ▁were ▁dead . ▁ ▁Re asons ▁and ▁after math ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁occasion ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁K umb h ▁M ela ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁polit icians ▁to ▁connect ▁with ▁the ▁Indian ▁popul ace ▁prior ▁to ▁India ' s ▁Independ ence , ▁and ▁as ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁K umb h ▁M ela ▁after ▁Independ ence , ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 ▁million ▁pil gr ims ▁in ▁Al la hab ad ▁for ▁the