U’khand CM invited to see Magh Mela preparations

Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri sends invite to Trivendra Singh Rawat

PRAYAGRAJ : With the aim of convincing Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat that a grand Kumbh-2021 was possible in Haridwar despite the Covid-19 outbreak, the president of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP)—the apex decisionmaking body of the country’s 13 recognised Hindu mona stic orders —has invited him to visit Prayagraj on January 1.

The ABAP chief wants to show Rawat how Magh Mela was being held in Prayagraj on a grand scale with due precautions amid the pandemic.

“The invitation has been sent to the Uttarakhand government after a decision was taken regarding it at a recent meeting of ABAP held at Naya Udaseen Akhada,” said ABAP president Mahant Narendra Giri. He said the there should be no doubt in people’s mind that Akhada Parishad has ever said that no fair would be held. We have put forth our stand in front of Uttrakhand CM,” Giri said.

The move is also being seen in connection with the Akhada Parsiahd’s wish to go ahead with all its ceremonies and that of the akhadas with full splendour instead of its earlier decision to make all events low-key affairs owing to the restrictions put in place in the wake of the pandemic. “We believe if the CM comes to Prayagraj and observes closely the manner in which Magh Mela-2021 is being organised by the UP government and the district administration taking all precautions against Covid-19 but not compromising on the scale of the events, the Uttarakhand government wo ith organising the Kumbh Mela in a grand manner at Haridwar without any threat of the spread of the pandemic,” said Giri.