File photo of Har Ki Pauri Ghat during Kumbh Mela 2021
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Till the conclusion of the royal bath, nearly 2,000 seers of 13 akhadas (sects) had taken a dip in the Ganga at Har Ki Pairi ghat which was reserved exclusively for them The last shahi snan at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar on Tuesday was a subdued affair with seers keeping the ritual symbolic in view of a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases. Till the conclusion of the royal bath, nearly 2,000 seers of 13 akhadas (sects) had taken a dip in the Ganga at Har Ki Pairi ghat which was reserved exclusively for them, officials said.
Sadhus wrap up from Haridwar Kumbh Mela (ANI)
HARIDWAR: A day after PM Modi’s appeal to hold Kumbh mela in a symbolic manner, most of the camps bore a deserted look as seers of prominent sanyasi akhadas like Juna, Atal, Agni, Ahavan, Niranjani and Anand who have announced closure of Kumbh for their seers started leaving their camps. Those who could not, were planning to do so on Monday in view of the state-wide lockdown that has now been imposed in Uttarakhand on Sundays.
Mahant Hari Giri, patron of Juna Akhada told TOI that almost 80% of seers from his akhada had already left Kumbh and only a few seers will take a symbolic dip on the last shahi snan on April 27. “We do not want to risk the lives of the seers and pilgrims coming to Haridwar at a time when Covid cases are rising phenomenally. Therefore, a collective decision was made regarding closure of the Kumbh by our akhada,” he said. Juna Akhada the largest of the 13 sects of seers in the country had pulled out o