Amid worsening Covid-19 situation in the country, the Niranjani Akhada has announced to curtail the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar. The religious congregation has emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot where millions are flocking to participate in the event.Â
The Niranjani Akhada on Thursday said that the Kumbh Mela will end on Saturday (April 17), almost two weeks before from the schedule. The event kicked-off on April 1 and was slated for culmination on April 30.
Notably, after several seers tested positive for Covid-19 and many showing symptoms, Ravindra Puri, secretary, Niranjani Akhada, said that the event will conclude on Saturday. After reviewing the current Covid-19 situation in our camps where several seers and devotees have tested positive, the Akhara has decided to culminate Kumbh Mela on April 17.
Amid concerns that lakhs of people present at the Kumbh Mela would turn the holy congregation into a super spreader, as many as 102 people were tested positive for COVID-19 between Sunday and Monday, officials said.
Tens of thousands of devotees thronged Kumbh Mela in Haridwar to take a holy dip in Ganga on the occasion of second Shahi Snan. Naga Sadhus also took out processions and performed different rituals. But, it has become very difficult for devotees to maintain social distance due to massive crowds. Kumbh Mela Inspector General (IG) Sanjay Gunjyal admitted that it is difficult to ensure social distancing norms during the second Shahi snan where massive crowds have gathered to take a holy dip in River Ganga at Har Ki Pauri in Uttarakhand s Haridwar. "We are continuously appealing to people to follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. But due to the huge crowd, it is practically not possible to issue challans today. It is very difficult to ensure social distancing at ghats," Gunjyal said. "A stampede-like situation may arise if we would try to enforce social distancing at ghats so we are unable to enforce social distancing here," he said. The first Shahi Snan was held on M
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ANI
India s famous religious congregation, the
Kumbh Mela is in full swing at Haridwar, Uttarakhand. On Monday, devotees took a holy dip in River Ganga at
Har Ki Pauri on the occasion of the second shahi snan in Kumbh.
However, this is happening at a time when the nation is going through its second peak which is proving to be much worse than the first. Uttarakhand itself reported 1,333 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday taking the total number of the cases in the state to 1,08,812. The active cases in the state now stand at 7,323.