The Kumbh Mela is one of the significant pilgrimages undertaken by Hindus through the four river banks Allahabad (Ganges-Yamuna Sarasvati rivers confluence), Haridwar (Ganges), Nashik (Godavari), and Ujjain (Shipra).
Unfortunately as COVID-19 pandemic continues to live, the Uttarakhand government has announced the limitation of Kumbh this year for 30 days, Chief Secretary Om Prakash said on Thursday 18th February.
The government will deliver the notice by the end of March stating that this time Kumbh will be held between April 1 to April 30. The decision is taken with consideration of Coronavirus pandemic and to prevent its spread of infection, he added.
The state government has also focused on reducing the portion of Kumbh as they fear becoming a centre spot of the virus.
Earlier, the Haridwar District Magistrate C Ravishankar said that pilgrims will need passes to attend Kumbh. “Pilgrims will need passes for Kumbh and the passes will be issued only after submission of a negative RT-PCR test report, medical certificate, and identification proof. Those without passes will be denied entry,” said Ravishankar.
He also added that the district administration has requested 70,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations for the personnel posted on duty to secure their safety.
The Kumbh administration has also put cameras at the Ganga Ghats to monitor the crowd.
Haridwar has been converted into a hub of mythology-themed colourful wall graffiti to make devotees and tourists conscious of its importance in the Maha Kumbh Mela taking place, under the campaign called “Paint My City”, run by the Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority.
Mela Deputy Officer Harbir Singh termed Kumbh as a festival of colours and said that graffiti representing Hindu mythology and Uttarakhand culture has been installed across walls, bridges, Government buildings, and other places available in Haridwar.
The Maha Kumbh is celebrated in a cycle of 12 years at four river-bank pilgrimage sites across India. The fair will be completed in the last week of April.
