(GNB Desk): Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, begins in Haridwar, India despite coronavirus concerns.
The Kumbh Mela 2021 is going to be held at Haridwar, India from January 15th, 2021 to March 4th, 2021. Due to the pandemic, this year the period of the Kumbh Mela has been reduced to 48 days in Haridwar instead of three-and-a-half months
The festival began on Friday, January 15, 2021, with thousands of Hindu devotees gathering along the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar, India to wash away any sins.
As with many religious celebrations this year, there are concerns over people’s safety. India has over 10.5 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 151,727 recorded deaths, ABC News reports.
Officials say they are following pandemic guidelines, but most bathers are not wearing masks. India has second highest COVID cases.
According to news channel NDTV, pilgrims started arriving at Har ki Paudi, a famous bank of the river Ganges in Haridwar, at 03:00 local time and bathing started an hour later.
The event normally attracts tens of thousands, but this time the authorities are discouraging large crowds because of the risks due to Covid-19.
The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar is a mela (fair) held every 12 years at Haridwar, India. The exact date is determined according to Hindu astrology. Haridwar is one of the four sites of Kumbh Mela, the others being Prayag (Allahabad), Trimbak (Nashik), and Ujjain. Although there are several references to riverside bathing festivals in ancient Indian literature, the exact age of the Kumbh Mela is uncertain.
According to the ancient Hindu mythology, the root of the Kumbh Mela is traced back to the medieval event of samudra manthan (churning of the ocean). The Vedic literature discuss samudra manthan by the Devas and Asuras for nectar (amrita – the drink of immortality) and the battle between them for the possession of nectar pot or kumbh in detail.
Amrita was eventually found during samudra manthan and divine physician Dhanavantari emerged with it in a kumbh. To prevent the asuras (malevolent beings) from seizing the amrita, the divine carrier flew with the pot. In other versions of the legend, Garuda took the pot of the amrita and flew away. During that process, few drops of the nectar fell at four different places: Haridwar, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Trimbak (Nashik) and Ujjain where the kumbh Mela is celebrated after every 12 years. However, an Ardh Kumbh Mela is celebrated after 6 years (i.e. between the two Purna Kumbha Mela) in Allahabad and Haridwar.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
