As the music gains tempo, men start fighting with their canes to the beats
Hundreds of men at a village in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun gathered to celebrate "Latth Maar Diwali" today with sticks, canes. In a video shared on social media, men - mostly in their 30s and 40s - are seen dancing to the beats of dhol with sticks and canes in their hands. A few children accompany the grown-ups.
However, despite the government's and experts' Covid warnings, none is seen wearing a mask. The small area, tightly packed with men celebrating this Bundelkhand tradition, has no room for social distancing.
Two groups of men are seen dancing around in two separate circles with one even hoisting a man on his shoulders as bystanders watch. As the music gains tempo, the two groups start fighting with their canes - in intricate choreography - to the beats.
Ahead of the festivals, the Centre had issued an advisory urging all the states to ensure Coronavirus precautions are followed strictly during the festive season. The advisory listed a host of measures to stop infection rates from spiralling as they have in some countries.
"States/UTs are further requested to ensure that non-adherence to COVID Appropriate behaviour in public places is dealt with strongly. Inter-sectoral collaboration between health departments, law enforcement agencies, market and trade associations, civil society organizations, and community will be essential to curb any risk of a spike in COVID-19 trajectory," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said in a letter to the states.