Kumbh Mela 2021: Walls in Haridwar painted for the Kumbh Mela
The Kumbh Mela is underway at Haridwar now. This year the Mahakumbh is taking place after 12 years. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Uttarakhand government has asked the centre for an additional 20,000 vaccines for the Kumbh Mela. The state government has sent a request to the centre for more vaccines, Dr Abhishek Tripathi, state Covid control room chief told news agency ANI. The Covid-19 vaccination drive began in Uttarakhand on Saturday, with healthcare workers getting the first shots at the Doon Hospital in the presence of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.
Millions of pilgrims are expected in Haridwar over the coming weeks during the Kumbh Mela amid the pandemic. An organisation in the temple town has launched a campaign to send the waters of the Ganga to people who may not be able to visit the Kumbh due to coronavirus-linked restrictions in place. The campaign, "Aapke Dwar Pahuncha Haridwar" (Haridwar comes to your doorstep) was launched on Makar Sankranti.
Haridwar has turned into a hub of mythology-themed wall graffiti for the Mahakumbh. A campaign, "Paint My City", by the Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority has been launched. "An entire team is working on the paintings that focus on bringing the Indian culture to the forefront...this will also make Kumbh a memorable experience for tourists", Pritam an artist from Noida said.
Click here for dates of Shahi Snan and more news on Kumbh Mela.