- By Jennifer Prill
- (General Dispatch) – The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela one of the oldest and most religious events in the world is celebrated in northern India where Hindus can bathe on the banks of the Ganges River.
- The event lasts 7 weeks and alternates in four cities in India, this year it was held in the city of Haridwar in the state of Uttarakhand, the authorities expect it to be visited by more than 1 million pilgrims.
- “Before dawn, men, women and children jostled for space along the several miles of the riverbank before a brief plunge into the fast-flowing water, singing hymns and throwing flowers into the Ganges,” said Agence France Press AFP
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat called for an offering to be made by showering the pilgrims with flowers via helicopter.
- The Kumbh Mela administration has planned to allow the crowd to bathe without any problem, investing in security and implementing measures despite a health crisis problem.
- Pilgrims have disregarded adopting biosecurity measures after a 33-year-old believer Nitesh Kumar said “There is no fear of pandemic and people are moving freely. India has already beaten the disease and there is nothing to worry about,” AFP reported.
- Kumbh Mela was designated as the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity” according to Unesco.
- “According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons waged a war over a sacred pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. The drops fell in four places” According to AFP. The 4 places referred to in the mythology, are the cities where they alternate to celebrate Kumbh Mela.
Adittional Information:
Breitbart: Hundreds of Thousands Flock to Ganges River for Hindu Festival
France 24: Hundreds of thousands take holy dip in India
