Kumbh Mela
PM Modi appeals to make Kumbh Mela 'symbolic' amid Covid-19 spike
New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appealed to make this year's Kumbh Mela, a major pilgrimage and festival of Hindus, symbolic, to avoid the risk of spreading Covid-19.
Modi in a couple of tweets said he spoke to one of the top seers, Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Juna Akhara, and made the appeal.
All this comes after the central government faced criticism for holding Kumbh Mela, which has witnessed the gathering of tens of thousands of pilgrims along the banks of Ganga.
मैंने प्रार्थना की है कि दो शाही स्नान हो चुके हैं और अब कुंभ को कोरोना के संकट के चलते प्रतीकात्मक ही रखा जाए। इससे इस संकट से लड़ाई को एक ताकत मिलेगी। @AvdheshanandG
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2021
The event, which is usually held between mid-January and April, has, however, been shortened in 2021 to one month from Apr 1 to Apr 30.
After attending the festival this year, one top seer has died of Covid-19 and 80 other holy men have been infected with the deadly virus.
India, which is witnessing the second wave of Covid-19, reported over 2.34 lakh new cases in the last 24 hours.
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