Juna Akhara announces conclusion of Kumbh after PM Modi appeal

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to keep Haridwar Kumbh Mela "symbolic" amid surging COVID-19 cases in the country, Juna Akhara has announced to conclude the grand Mela on Saturday. This comes after 30 'sadhus' tested positive for COVID-19 amidst the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar on Friday.

Hyderabad: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to keep Haridwar Kumbh Mela "symbolic" amid surging COVID-19 cases in the country, Juna Akhara has announced to conclude the grand Mela on Saturday.

This comes after 30 'sadhus' tested positive for COVID-19 amidst the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar on Friday. According to the Union Health Ministry, there are currently 12,484 active COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand.

Earlier today, PM Modi spoke to Swami Avdheshanand Giri, Acharya Mahamandleshwar, Juna Akhara to inquire about the health of the seers and requested him to keep the religious congregation symbolic due to the pandemic.

The first bath was held on March 11 on the occasion of Mahashivratri, the second took place on April 14 and the third on April 14. The fourth shahi snan is scheduled on April 27.

Maha Nirvani Akhara head Kapil Dev, who had come to attend the Kumbh in Haridwar from Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, died in a Dehradun hospital on Wednesday while undergoing treatment after testing positive for COVID-19.

According to the schedule of major events, four 'shahi snan' and nine 'Ganga Snan' will take place at Haridwar this year.

The 'snans' are a part of the Kumbh Mela that is supposed to be held in Haridwar from April 1 to April 30. The duration of the Kumbh festival has been shortened to 30 days this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Kumbh is held periodically at four different locations in India -- Nashik, Haridwar, Prayagraj, and Ujjain. In normal circumstances, Kumbh continues for nearly four months but this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the duration of the congregation has been curtailed to one month.

According to the Union Ministry of Health, India reported 2,34,692 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, reporting yet another highest single-day spike. India contributed 22.8 per cent of the total cases reported worldwide on April 12.