The children have been identified as Sudish Mandal´s daughter Gudiya Mandal, 12, Kripal Mandal´s son Sudan Mandal, 10, and Sashavdayal Safi´s son Ram Babu Safi, 10, of Patari-4. [break]
The tragedy took place when villagers, including children, were immersing the idol of Lord Krishna after concluding four days of fair organized at Patari-9 on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami.
Police inspector Narayan Chimariya confirmed the deaths of two boys and a girl from drowning.
Fifteen children and villagers had gone to the Patal pond at Patari-9 to immerse the idol set up at the house of Tapasi Mandal of Patari-4 during Krishna Janmashtami, the festival celebrating the nativity of Lord Krishna.
After immersing the idol, Tapasi returned home only to find his niece Gudiya missing. He immediately returned to the pond to look for her. But he found the body of Ram Babu first, and then that of Sudan, before finally finding Gudiya´s body, according to Mahesh Gupta, an eyewitness.
Tapasi said villagers immerse the idol of Lord Krishna in the same pond every year.
"Everything went fine last year. But this year´s Krishna Janmashtami gave a life-long sorrow," Tapasi said, sobbing. "The children happily entered the pond. We thought they came out unharmed. But we eventually found the bodies of three children, including my niece," said an inconsolable Tapasi.
Ten years ago, a local youth had drowned in the same pond.
Villagers have blamed the deaths to lack of proper management during festivals. There is a widespread belief that childless couples wanting a child are blessed with children if they take dip in the pond during the Patari fair on Baishakh 2.
Childless couples from Nepal as well as India swarm the pond for the same reason.
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