Lakhs Congregate In Bengal For Makar Sankranti Mela As Covid Cases Surge
NDTV
Gangasagar Mela: Visuals depict hundreds of thousands taking a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal, as well as playing festive music on the banks of the river for Makar Sankranti 2022.
As Makar Sankranti celebrations commence, lakhs of devotees are seen taking part in the Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal's Sagar Island, even as Covid cases surge in the northeastern state amid the country's third Omicron-driven wave.
Visuals depict hundreds of thousands taking a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal, as well as playing festive music on the banks of the river, as lakhs of devotees from across the country arrived in the South 24 Parganas district to participate in the Hindu pilgrimage.
The celebrations come at a time when Bengal, like much of the country, is struggling with exponentially mounting Covid cases. On Thursday, Bengal reported 23,467 fresh Covid cases in 24 hours, a jump of 1,312 infections from the previous day's daily cases.
The positivity rate in the state also rose to 32.13 per cent from 30.86 per cent on Wednesday. This number is significantly high in comparison to the nation's overall positivity rate of 14.78 per cent, as of Friday morning.
