Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday the ongoing Kumbh in Haridwar should now have symbolic participation due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Modi tweeted that he spoke to Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Juna Akhara over telephone and enquired about the health of saints, many of whom have contracted the infection, and also conveyed his appreciation for their cooperation with the local administration.
"I prayed that two 'shahi snan' have taken place and Kumbh (participation) should now be kept symbolic. This will boost the fight against this crisis," the prime minister tweeted in Hindi.
Yesterday, three akharas had appealed for the Mahakumbh in Haridwar to be closed immediately because of the surge in Covid cases and said they would be leaving from Saturday, their stand dividing the monks at the congregation and inviting attacks.
The administration said it had no plans to prematurely wind up the Kumbh Mela, scheduled to run till April 30.
Mahant Ravindrapuri of the Niranjani Akhara, one of the country’s 13 main akharas (monasteries), said on Friday morning: “We have decided to withdraw from the Mahakumbh on April 17 and vacate the mela (congregation or fair) area to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.”
The Sri Panchayati Akhara and the Anand Akhara endorsed the stand of Niranjani, which chided the government for failing to take tough decisions despite the Covid surge. The Uttarakhand health department has detected 2,400 Covid infections in the Kumbh area since the congregation started on April 1.
The ongoing Kumbh, which has seen people from different parts of the country attending the auspicious event in large numbers, has drawn flak from various quarters as the number of Covid-19 cases has zoomed at a rapid pace in the past few weeks. The event has also reported the coronavirus cases in large numbers.
The ongoing Kumbh has already been shortened this year to just one month from April 1 to 30 due to the pandemic. In normal circumstances, the event, which comes once in 12 years, is held from mid January to April.
