Stories of families being separated at the Kumbh Mela have been told for years, and even films are not behind in presenting such stories with a comic twist. But this year’s Maha Kumbh Mela has brought hope to one family who have been separated for decades.

A family from Jharkhand has reported that they have found their missing relative, Gangasagar Yadav, who left home nearly 27 years ago, leaving behind his wife and two children. They think he has been identified as an Aghori Baba at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

January 29. “We have tracked down another one, Gangasagar Yadav, 65, of the Sadhu community called Rajkumar, who lives in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.” His wife Dhanwa Devi was left to bring up their two sons, Kamlesh and Vimlesh, when Gangasagar vanished mysteriously in 1998 from Patna after he had migrated there.

“Years had passed and we had lost hope of ever seeing him again. But one of our relatives caught a glimpse of a man looking like Gangasagar at the Kumbh Mela and clicked his photograph. We rushed to the fair and met Baba Rajkumar. But he refused to be Gangasagar. Instead, he said he was a Sadhu from Varanasi,” claimed Murali Yadav, Gangasagar’s younger brother.

Despite the denial, the family recognized Baba Rajkumar as Gangasagar based on distinctive marks, including long teeth, injury scars on his forehead, and an old wound on his knee. They alerted the Kumbh Mela police and requested a DNA test from Baba Rajkumar.

“We will wait till the Kumbh Mela ends, and if necessary, we will have a DNA test conducted. If the test does not prove our claim, we will apologize to Baba Rajkumar,” Murli Yadav said.

Some family members have gone back home, and others are still at the fair, closely watching Baba Rajkumar and his Sadhvi companion. In case the DNA test turns in their favor, they are ready to go to court. At the time of Gangasagar’s disappearance, his elder son was only two years old, and his younger son had not yet been born.