ALLAHABAD: The Kumbh turned out to be a confluence of patriotism , faith and emotions on Saturday, when family members of 20 martyrs performed yajna at the mela ground. Displaying photographs of their brave son, husband and brother who sacrificed their lives during terror attacks, they gathered at Shaheedo ki Basti in Sector 14 set up by a sadhu, Balak Yogeshwar Das, to pray for departed souls and also end terrorism.The families stood at the martyrs' tent, hours before prayers began. Tears swelled in their eyes as they glanced at a tricolour atop the tent, portraits of martyrs and 108 hawan kunds prepared for the first 'Shaheed' yajna during Kumbh.Amid patriotic songs, 24 people from families of those who died in Kargil or were martyred in terror attacks in Kashmir said, they felt closer to the souls of their brave and loved souls. For them, it was not just a prayer, but a 'power yajna' that empowers them to bear the loss."My son was just five months old when I lost my husband, Naik Arun Kumar Singh, during the terror attack in Anantnag," said Neelam Devi. The 23-year-old soldier died on November 20, 1999, in an IED blast. "He along with 11 others were killed while returning from an anti-terror mission. I came from Srinagar to join in the prayers at the Kumbh," she said.Rajan Vikrant, son of DSP Devinder Sharma who was martyred on October 2001 during an operation in Kathua, said, "I pray for my father's moksha and also to end terrorism. I was 13 years old when I lost my father. I know the pain and the courage needed to handle a tragedy. I came here to educate people about soldiers' sacrifice," said Rajan Vikrant from Jammu. He said Kumbh is biggest gathering of pilgrims and yajna chants reach the masses and make them realize about sacrifice of soldiers. "I felt my son is performing yagna with me. It's this feeling which brought me here," said mother of Kargil martyr Udayman Singh Kanta Devi.The yajna was organized by Balak Yogeshwar Das, who organized 33 such rituals across India .

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