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Juna Akhada ends participation in Kumbh Mela over Covid-19 concerns

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 4/19/2021 11:00:10 AM

Haridwar, Apr 18 Citing concerns about the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country, the Juna Akhada on Saturday announced its decision to end its participation in the ongoing Haridwar Kumbh Mela. Juna Akhada Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avadheshanand Giri in a tweet said the well-being of people is their first priority, and seeing the rising number of Covid-19 cases, the Juna Akhada has decided to end its participation in the Haridwar Kumbh Mela. "Seeing the rising number of Covid-19 cases, we have duly offered final prayers to all deities invoked at the Kumbh Mela. For Juna Akhada, the Kumbh Mela has ended," he tweeted. Sources say seers from other akhadas are also thinking about limiting their participation due to the Covid-19 scare. Earlier this week, the Niranjani Akhada and Tapo Nidhi Shri Anand Akhada too announced that they are ending their participation in the Kumbh Mela due to health concerns borne out of the rising Covid-19 cases. With Juna Akhada joining them, three of the 13 akhadas have now ended their participation from the Kumbh Mela. On Saturday, Swami Avadheshanand Giri also appealed to people to attend the Kumbh Mela in limited numbers in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases. "Faith is a big thing, but human lives are far more important," he said. "We must all realise that the strain of coronavirus was not as aggressive or fatal earlier as it is at present. So my appeal to the emotional devotees is that they should attend the Kumbh fair in limited numbers," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Juna Akhada's decision to end its participation in the Kumbh Mela comes hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the seers to have only symbolic participation in the Kumbh Mela due to the Covid-19 crisis. "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," the prime minister tweeted in Hindi. The ongoing Kumbh Mela has seen people from different parts of the country attending the auspicious event in large numbers. It is being held at a time when India is battered by the second wave of Covid- 19 and the country is recording more than 2 lakh cases daily. The Kumbh Mela has drawn flak from various quarters as the number of Covid-19 cases has zoomed at a rapid pace in the past few weeks. The ongoing Kumbh Mela has already been shortened this year to just one month from April 1 to 30 due to the pandemic. In normal circumstances, the event, which comes once in 12 years, is held from mid-January to April. Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Swami Avdheshanand Giri had clarified that he was not announcing the end of the Kumbh Mela. "I am not announcing the end of Kumbh. All I am saying is Kumbh is already towards its fag end, with the two major 'shahi snan' being over. One 'shahi snan' remains.