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Kumbh Mela: Amid rising coronavirus cases nationwide, a sea of saffron-clad seers and ash-smeared Nagas converged at Har ki Pairi in Haridwar for a holy dip in the Ganga during the second shahi snan of the Kumbh Mela. Led by their `mahamandaleshwaras', the sadhus from different akhadas took out “shobha yatras” through the main thoroughfare of the pilgrimage city to gather at Brahma Kund, Hari ki Pairi for the shahi snan –- or the royal bath — on Somvati Amavasya.
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Marching barefoot to their destination, the seers took a dip in the river as they were showered with flower petals from helicopters arranged by the Uttarakhand government. (PTI Photo)
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As the mammoth exercise was on, Mela Inspector General Sanjay Gunjyal said 100 per cent compliance with Covid-19 norms was not possible with such a large crowd of seers converging on the ghats. (PTI Photo)
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Twenty-six people tested positive in the 9,678 random coronavirus tests conducted in the 'mela kshetra'. (Reuters Photo)
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Masks were not worn by a large proportion and social distancing appeared impossible at an event in which, according to Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, about 35 lakh people participated. (Reuters Photo)
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It was the second shahi snan during the ongoing Kumbh Mela, which has been limited to just one month due to rising cases of coronavirus. (Reuters Photo)
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While Har ki Pairi, considered the holiest of the ghats was reserved for the akhadas from 7 am onwards, common people took the dip at the other ghats of the Ganga, revered by millions as a goddess. (Reuters Photo)
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Har Ki Pairi resonated with the chants of Har Har Mahadev throughout the day as the akhadas descended on the ghat in batches.(AP Photo)
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More than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel kept an eye over the mela area spread over 600 hectares. (PTI Photo)
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The last ‘royal bath' was conducted on the occasion of Mahashivratri on March 11. The third shahi snan is on April 14. (Reuters Photo)
