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Chants fade into cries: Vrindavan boat tragedy shatters Ludhiana families
At least 10 pilgrims from Ludhiana, most of them from Jagraon and Dugri, died in the tragedy on Friday, while several others remain unaccounted for
The video lasts only a few seconds. Devotees smile, clap and chant “Radhe-Radhe” as their boat glides across the Yamuna in Vrindavan. Recorded on mobile phones and shared with families, it captured moments of faith and joy. Within minutes, the same boat capsized, turning devotion into disaster and leaving families in Ludhiana shattered.
At least 10 pilgrims from Ludhiana, most of them from Jagraon and Dugri, died in the tragedy on Friday, while several others remain unaccounted for.
The group had travelled to Vrindavan as part of a four-day pilgrimage organised by the Shri Banke Bihari Club of Jagraon.
Around 130 devotees had gone in two buses, and many opted for a boat ride on the Yamuna after visiting temples. It was during this ride that the accident occurred.
Survivors and locals have alleged that the boat was overcrowded and lacked basic safety measures, including life jackets.
Family wiped out in seconds
The scale of devastation is stark in the case of Vijay Bahl of Jagraon, who lost nearly his entire family.
According to his close friend Vinay Kumar Sharma, those who died include Bahl’s wife Kavita, son Madhur, sisters Asha and Anju Gulati, brother Charanjit, and sister-in-law Pinky. Only Bahl and one of his sons survived; both are traumatised, and Bahl has sustained injuries.
“His entire world has been destroyed,” Vinay said.
‘I’ll call after darshan’ — the last words
Among the victims were Anju Gulati, her husband Rakesh Gulati, and their neighbour Meenu Bansal, all residents of Dugri.
Before boarding the boat, Anju called her sister-in-law, Suman Gulati.
“We’re enjoying crossing the Yamuna while singing bhajans. I’ll talk to you after darshan,” she said.
Half an hour later, Suman received another call—this time from Rajinder Kaur, who had been with them. “Our boat has capsized… phones have fallen into the water… many have drowned,” she said before the line went dead.
Rajinder survived with injuries, but the Gulatis and Meenu Bansal did not. Meenu’s daughter, who was with her, is still missing, though her name does not figure on the official list. Another resident, Radha, was later traced to a hospital.
Anniversary turns into tragedy
For the Hans family from Moga, the loss came days after a celebration. Sapna Hans had marked her wedding anniversary with her husband Anil Hans on April 8. Two days later, she drowned in the Yamuna.
Dreams cut short
In Jagraon, grief engulfs the home of Krishna Kataria. His only grandson, Ishaan Kataria, had recently completed his studies and was preparing for a banking career. The family had begun looking for a match for him.
“I wanted to see him as a groom,” his grandfather said. “Now I will have to see his dead body.” Ishaan had called home after reaching Vrindavan, excited about visiting temples. By evening, news of his death reached the family.
Chaos, unanswered calls and a sealed road
Rohit, a pilgrim who had stayed back at the dharamshala, recalled the panic that followed. “We kept calling everyone, but no one answered. Then we rushed towards the river, but the police had sealed the road,” he said. As word spread, his phone rang incessantly with calls from anxious relatives trying to reach loved ones. “Most phones had fallen into the water. When people couldn’t connect, they started calling anyone they knew,” he said.
Eyewitnesses later told him the boat had collided with an old bridge pillar before capsizing. Police teams later reached the dharamshala to gather details of the pilgrims and asked them not to leave.
Father’s desperate search for missing son
Even as families rushed to Vrindavan, many were left searching for missing relatives.
Umesh Kumar Sharma, a resident of Mohalla Ram Nagar in Jagraon, is among them. His 18-year-old son, a law student, is still missing.
“He is an ardent devotee of Radha Rani and used to visit Vrindavan every few months. This time too, he came with
the same faith. Now he is missing,” Sharma said over the phone.
Making an emotional appeal to the Uttar Pradesh government, he urged authorities to intensify search operations. “I request the chief minister to deploy divers and help find my son,” he said.
Safety lapses under scrutiny
Questions are now being raised over safety arrangements at the site. Survivors and locals alleged that the boat was carrying around 35–40 people and that no life jackets were provided. “We lost our people because there was no safety,” said Vinay.
“The boat was overloaded and no one had life jackets,” Vinay added.
