Lost and Found at Kumbh: Now Digitised!

Ah, the good old days of Hindi cinema! When brothers, separated as toddlers in the swirling crowds of Kumbh Mela, would finally reunite decades later-often at the most improbable moment, like while donating blood to their ailing mother! Audiences thrived on those melodramatic hospital scenes, where the wailing violins accompanied long-lost brothers who'd miraculously recognize each other with a gleeful "Maa, main aa gaya," followed by the customary tearful embrace.

- Biswajeet Banerjee

But alas, technology is a kill joy. Gone are the days when a hapless mother could lose a child in a fair and spend years hollering for "Munna" in crowded streets; the Uttar Pradesh government, ever so practical, is determined to put an end to these cinematic clichés. This time around, they're prepping for the Maha Kumbh 2025 with enough tech to make sci-fi directors jealous. No more losing your sibling in the crowd only to bump into him years later as a dashing police officer or, better yet, as the mafia don you were sent to arrest. Instead, the Prayagraj Mela Authority and the Police Department have conspired to ensure that if you lose your loved one at the fair, you'll find them faster than you can say "Khoya-Paya."

They've set up digital lost-and-found centres with social media alerts-because, clearly, nothing says family reunion like trending on Facebook and X (previously known as Twitter).