KUMBH IS OVER FOR NIRANJANI AKHADA SEERS

Dehradun, April 15: Niranjani Akhada, one of the 13 akhadas of seers participating in the Haridwar Kumbh, on Thursday decided to opt out of the event because of the deteriorating Covid-19 situation in the state.

“The main Shahi Snan held on the occasion of Mesh Sankranti on April 14 is over. Many in our akhada are showing Covid-19 symptoms. So, for us the Kumbh Mela is over,” Niranjani Akhada secretary Ravindra Puri said.

Rising cases of Coronavirus infection in Uttarakhand has spared none with several seers testing positive. President of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad Narendra Giri is down with Covid and recuperating at AIIMS-Rishikesh while Mahamandaleshwar of Maha Nirwani Akhada from Madhya Pradesh Swami Kapil Dev who was suffering from Covid died at a private hospital here on April 13.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand on Thursday recorded its highest single-day spike in cases since the outbreak of the pandemic. The ongoing Kumbh Mela in Haridwar has been shortened this year to just one month from April 1 to 30 due to Covid. In normal circumstances, the event which comes once in 12 years, is held for nearly four months from midJanuary to April.