Kumbh Mela 2021: Mahakumbh In Haridwar With Covid-19 Guidelines

Kumbh Mela 2021: The Kumbh Mela began in Haridwar on Thursday. Several Covid-linked restrictions are in place

The Kumbh Mela formally began in Haridwar on Thursday with several restrictions amid rising cases of Covid-19 infections in various states including Uttarakhand. Officials associated with organising the Kumbh Mela, including Mela Officer Deepak Rawat, Mela IG Sanjay Gunjyal and Haridwar SSP Janmejay Khanduri, visited the temples along the banks of the Ganga to pray for a safe and unhindered Kumbh fair. Checking on Uttarakhand's borders with Uttar Pradesh at Narsan in Roorkee and Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar district has been intensified to ensure that only people with a negative RT-PCR test report proceed for the Kumbh Mela. "Besides registering on our portal, it is compulsory for devotees to bring a negative RT-PCR test report with them," Mela Officer Deepak Rawat said. A negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours before arrival has been made mandatory for devotees gathering for the Kumbh by the Uttarakhand High Court. In an order on Wednesday, the high court said a negative RT-PCR certification will be compulsory even in the case of devotees who have received the first dose of the corona vaccine. Devotees who have taken the anti-Covid vaccination will have to show their certificates and follow the Covid-linked guidelines like wearing masks, maintaining social distance and frequently sanitizing hands in the Kumbh Kshetra.