India holds Hindu festival Kumbh Mela despite COVID-19 fears

The Maha Kumbh Mela, which is considered the largest Hindu gathering in the world, is held in a 12-year cycle, across four pilgrimage sites in India. This year, the festival is being held in the holy city of Haridwar. The festival, which is classified as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, is attended by tens of thousands of people under normal circumstances.

The chilly morning weather does not seem to stop Hindu devotees from taking a dip in the Ganges River at the Har Ki Pauri, an iconic ghat in Haridwar. Some experts had asked the government to reconsider holding the event, over fears that it could create an infection hotspot. However, authorities decided to go ahead with the festival, after establishing some new rules and restrictions.

Visitors have to register before attending the festival and submit RT-PCR test results that showed they are COVID-19 negative. Elderly people, children and pregnant women are being discouraged from attending the event. "We have set up rapid antigen testing centers at every entrance, and we will be testing people coming in," Gopal Singh Chauhan, an Uttarakhand State official, told DW.

Several pilgrims told DW that they had little faith in the testing process, but had chosen to attend despite the risk of infection. "Yes, it is a risk to attend the Kumbh Mela, but you could get the infection anywhere... Everything else has already opened up, so why should this event not be held? We are just here for some positive vibes," Shalini Soni, a pilgrim from Delhi, told DW.

Authorities said they would only implement certain restrictions on the days considered auspicious for bathing in the Ganges — the days when most devotees are expected. There are four auspicious bathing dates, or "Shahi Snan" throughout the festival. The first Shahi Snan took place on March 11.

According to Hindu tradition, bathing in the Ganges washes off one's sins, and frees them from the cycle of life and death. The Khumbh Mela began on January 14, and will continue through April 27.

Online registrations went largely unchecked, and many attendees said there was a lack of clarity in the process. Some reported technical issues registering on the government website, while others said the mandate to present a negative RT-PCR test was not being enforced.

"I think more people will show up, after they hear about how the RT-PCR test rule is not being followed," Pandit Mohit Dubey, a Hindu priest, told DW. "People usually come and pray for their health, families, children, businesses, or progress in work. This time, many people are asking the holy Ganges River to free them from the coronavirus disease," he said.