NEW DELHI, Apr 14: The deteriorating Coronavirus situation notwithstanding, the mega Kumbh Mela at Haridwar will continue till its original schedule up to April 30. Official sources said there was no move to curtail the Kumbh Mela by a fortnight and end it by Thursday as reported earlier in view of the surging Covid infections.
“The Kumbh Mela used to begin in January, but looking at the Covid situation, the state government decided to start it in April this time. The centre’s SOP said because of the situation, the duration would be reduced. I have no information of it being curtailed,” said Deepak Rawat, District Magistrate, Haridwar, and Kumbh Mela officer.
Earlier today, there were reports of discussions between the Uttarakhand government and religious leaders who have so far remained unconvinced about cancelling the event.
But officials said this evening no discussions took place and the Kumbh gathering would continue uninterrupted.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees have been gathering for the annual event on the banks of the river Ganga for a holy dip, escalating concerns about an exponential rise in Covid cases amid a countrywide spike in infections.
This morning, large crowds of Sadhus and devotees went for the “Shahi Snan” or “royal bath” at Har Ki Pauri on the third major bathing day of the month-long festival.
The state government said till 2 pm, a staggering 9,43,452 devotees had taken a dip on what is considered one of the most auspicious days of the Kumbh.
“People are being fined for not following social distancing in non-crowded ghats, but it is very hard to fine people in the main ghats, which are very crowded,” the police said. The next significant Kumbh day is set for April 27.
Uttarakhand recorded its highest single-day spike in Covid-19 cases on Tuesday with 1,925 people testing positive. Haridwar has reported 1,000 cases in two days.
(Manas Dasgupta)