Pandemic dents footfall on first day of Maha Kumbh in Haridwar

The Maha Kumbh, a religious congregation of Hindu seers and devotees, commenced in Haridwar on Thursday. The event, which is observed once every 12 years at each of India’s four river-bank pilgrimage sites, was significantly less crowded on the first day owing to the pandemic.

The Maha Kumbh, a religious congregation of Hindu seers and devotees, commenced in Haridwar on Thursday. The event, which is observed once every 12 years at each of India’s four river-bank pilgrimage sites, was significantly less crowded on the first day owing to the pandemic. With the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in mind, the Uttarakhand government issued a modified Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Kumbh Mela this year to curb the spread of the virus. However, this does not seem to have gone down well with renowned saints and priests in the city. Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati's close aide and renowned Saint Swami Avimukteshwaranand termed the new guidelines as the reason behind low footfall on the first day of the Kumbh Mela.