Huge religious festival of Kumbh Mela continues despite coronavirus pandemic

One organizer said they would attend a million pilgrims on Thursday.

LONDON – Hindu pilgrims in India began gathering on the first day of Kumbh Mela along the Ganges River, despite restrictions on the coronavirus in what is often described as the largest religious festival in the world.

On the first day of the festival, thousands of gatherings were shown to come from the northern city of Haridwar, which is being hosted this year.

Kumbh Mela takes place over a number of weeks and the pilgrims believe that immersion in the river will help them atone for their sins.

Usually, tens of millions of Indians gather during the festival, which is known for the colorful scenes and the presence of the Sadhus, or holy men.

However, India is still very much in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, and the numbers that are expected to travel from across the country have raised fears of more spread among the community.

In the early months of the pandemic, part of the spread of the virus across the country was attributed to day laborers traveling long distances home to keep themselves through COVID locks.

“The pandemic is a bit worrying, but we are taking all precautions,” an organizer, who suggested that up to a million people could join the festival on Thursday, was quoted as saying by Agence-France-Presse. “I’m sure Maa Ganga will take care of their safety.”

This year’s festival continues until April. The festival itself is celebrated at four different riverbanks considered sacred, with this year’s host, Prayagraj, based on the river Ganges in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

According to Johns Hopkins University, India has so far had more than 10.5 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 151,727 deaths.