The Uttarakhand government has decided to limit Kumbh Mela 2021 to just 30 days from earlier three months. This was informed by Chief Secretary Om Prakash on February 18, 2021.
The government will issue a formal notice at the end of March to the authorities responsible for hosting the Mela every year stating that this time the Kumbh, which is one of the most sacred events for Hindus, will be held from April 1 to April 30.
Why has Kumbh's duration been reduced?
The decision to reduce the duration of the pilgrimage was taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection, informed the Chief Secretary.
The state government had also emphasised on reducing the duration of Kumbh, as they fear that it could make the state a COVID-19 hot spot.
Key Things to Know
• The pilgrims will need passes to attend Kumbh. The passes will be issued only after submission of a negative RT-PCR test report with a test date 72 hours prior to the date of visit, identity proof and medical certificate. The pilgrims without passes will be denied entry.
• All devotees coming to Haridwar for Kumbh will also have to first register themselves on the web portal of Kumbh Mela 2021. Only registered pilgrims will be allowed entry into the Mela grounds.
• The state has imposed a complete ban on crowd puller events at the Mela like organically singing bhajans and organizing Bhandara in the entire Mela area.
• Only shops selling essential commodities such as food, dairy, puja items, blankets and medicines will be allowed to open on the day of the important bath dates to avoid unnecessary crowding and maintain social distance.
• Devotees will be given only 20 minutes for the holy bath.
• All personnel deployed in Bath Ghat will be equipped with a PPE kit and will follow all safety measures.
• The district administration has requested 70,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the personnel and front line workers posted on duty for the occasion.
• The Kumbh administration has also placed a network of CCTV cameras at the Ganga Ghats to monitor the crowd. Crowd 'Hold ups' are in place and markings have also been done at the Ghats to manage crowd.
Each Ghat will have santisaion units and more than 2000 will be deployed to sanitize people. Free masks will also be distributed on a large scale.
Besides traditional crowd management methods, Artificial Intelligence will also be used for detection of unattended baggage, head counting, traffic rule violations and automatic number plate detection.
• Vulnerable populations above 65 years of age, pregnant women and children and those with co-morbidities are being discouraged from attending the Kumbh Mela this year.
Kumbh 2021 Preparations
The preparations are on full swing for Kumbh Mela 2021, which will be held in Haridwar from April 1-30, 2021. Haridwar has been transformed into a hub of mythology-themed colourful wall graffitis to make devotees aware of its significance.
The graffitis depicting Hindu mythology and Uttarakhand culture have been installed across walls, bridges, Government buildings and other spaces available in Haridwar under the campaign called "Paint My City", which is being run by the Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority.
Background
Kumbh Mela is one of the largest mass gatherings at one place. The religious pilgrimage is celebrated four times over a course of 12 years and spans across four locations - Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik.
The Maha Kumbh is celebrated after every 12 years at the four river-bank pilgrimage sites across India.
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