Maha Kumbh 2021: One of the most sacred events for Hindus, that witnesses a gathering of thousands of pilgrims each and every 12 years, the Kumbh Mela has been shortened this year to 30 days due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Uttarakhand government lately mentioned when announcing the dates. The religious fair will be held from April 1 to April 30 this year.
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Om Prakash also informed that a notice will be issued by the finish of March to the authorities accountable for hosting the Mela each and every year. He additional mentioned that the choice to minimize the duration of the Kumbh was taken on account of the concern that with a gathering of persons, Haridwar can turn out to be a hot spot for Covid-19 infections.
The Health Ministry has earlier issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that created it mandatory for pilgrims to submit a damaging RT-PCR test report with test date 72 hours prior to the date of go to, identification proof and healthcare certificate to obtain passes that permit entry to the occasion.
Every devotee coming to Haridwar for Kumbh Mela 2021 will have to register themselves on the internet portal of Mahakumbh Mela, 2021 very first. Only registered persons will be permitted to enter the Mela grounds. A comprehensive ban has been imposed this year on crowd puller events like organically singing bhajans and organizing Bhandara in the whole Mela region.
During the Kumbh Mela, only shops of necessary commodities such as medicine, meals, dairy, puja paraphernalia, and blankets are permitted to be opened on the day of the crucial bath dates to keep away from unnecessary crowding and keep social distance.
Any devotee or group of devotees will be provided a maximum of 20 minutes for the holy bath. All personnel deployed in Bath Ghat will be equipped with PPE kit and will comply with all security measures.
Moreover, the district administration has demanded 70,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines for the immunisation of personnel posted on the Mela duty. A network of CCTV cameras has been installed to monitor the crowd and keep social distance.
Vulnerable populations above 65 years of age, kids and pregnant girls or the ones with co-morbid circumstances are discouraged from attending the Kumbh Mela this year.
A staggering seven million devotees attended Maha Kumbh 2010 in Haridwar and about 1.5 crore persons gathered at the ghats for ‘Shahi Snan’.