PM Modi speaks to Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Juna Akhara, urges ongoing Kumbh needs to be now symbolic in corona disaster
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Saturday the continued Kumbh in Haridwar ought to now have symbolic participation due to the COVID-19 disaster. The prime minister tweeted that he spoke to Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Juna Akhara over the phone and enquired in regards to the well being of saints, lots of whom have contracted the an infection, and in addition conveyed his appreciation for his or her cooperation with the native administration.
“I spoke to Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Juna Akhara on phone today and asked about the health of all saints. All saints are cooperating with the organisers in all possible ways,” the prime minister wrote in Hindi.Â
“I prayed that two ‘shahi snan’ have taken place and Kumbh (participation) should now be kept symbolic. This will boost the fight against this crisis,” Modi added.
Amid rising coronavirus instances within the nation, hundreds of saffron-clad seers and ash-smeared Nagas flouted COVID-19 norms and converged at Har Ki Pairi for a holy dip within the Ganga throughout the second royal bathtub of the Kumbh Mela on Monday. The seers of various akhadas, led by their Mahamandaleshwaras, by turns took out grand Shobha Yatras by means of the principle thoroughfare of the pilgrimage metropolis to collect at Brahma Kund, Hari ki Pairi for the holy bathtub on the event of Somvati Amavasya.
Meanwhile, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name, Swami Avdheshanand stated, “We respect Prime Minister’s appeal. I request the people to not come for snan in large numbers, in the wake of #COVID19 situation, and follow all rules”
COVID-19 scenario at Kumbh
Over 1,700 folks have examined constructive for COVID-19 within the Haridwar Kumbh Mela space from April 10 to 14, confirming fears that one of many world’s largest spiritual gatherings could contribute additional to the speedy rise in coronavirus instances. Medical staff performed 2,36,751 exams over the five-day interval within the mela web site. Out of those, 1,701 got here out constructive for coronavirus.
The numbers embody each RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Test reviews of devotees and seers of various akharas (ascetic teams) over the five-day interval in the whole mela web site extending from Haridwar to Devprayag, Haridwar’s Chief Medical Officer Shambhu Kumar Jha stated on Thursday.
More RT-PCR take a look at reviews are awaited and the development exhibits that the variety of contaminated individuals within the Kumbh Mela web site is probably going to climb to 2,000, he stated.
The Kumbh Mela space is unfold over 670 hectares protecting components of Haridwar, Tehri and Dehradun districts, together with Rishikesh.
A majority of the 48.51 lakh individuals who took half within the final two ‘royal baths’ (shahi snan) held on the event of Somwati Amavasya on April 12 and Mesh Sankranti on April 14 have been seen overtly violating COVID norms like sporting face masks and sustaining social distancing.
Despite their finest efforts, the police couldn’t impose the usual working procedures (SOPs) on the seers of akharas and the ash-smeared ascetics thronging Har Ki Pairi ghat on the 2 main bathing days due to extreme time constraints.
As the 13 akharas had to take their holy dip at Har ki Pairi in accordance with their allotted time slots earlier than sundown, the police and paramilitary personnel have been hard-pressed to guarantee every of them vacated the ghat earlier than the arrival of the subsequent akhara in line to forestall chaos.
As seers have been averse to present process RT-PCR exams until the Mesh Sankranti Shahi Snan of April 14, each testing and inoculation within the Kumbh Kshetra together with the areas allotted to the akharas are seemingly to be stepped up within the coming days, Jha stated.
