haridwar

Marking the beginning of the world's largest religious congregation, Kumbh Mela, devotees on January 14 took a holy dip in the Ganges river in Haridwar. "The pandemic is a bit of a worry, but we are taking all precautions," said organizer Siddharth Chakrapani, adding that over a million devotees are expected on the first day itself. Recognized by the UNESCO, Kumbh Mela had witnessed around 55 million people in its last edition in Allahabad (… read-more

Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj in a letter to Union Tourism ministry has asked to launch a ‘Covid-19 Insurance’ to revive tourism in the state. Maharaj said the insurance will "..attract them (tourists) to visit India and assure them of safety”. The letter came ahead of Haridwar Kumbh in January 2021. It added that a Covid-19 insurance policy would also attract NRI’s and foreign tourists to the tourism-backed state's economy.

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has decided to organize the Haridwar Kumbha Mela 2021 in a restricted manner with limitations in the number of pilgrims. The decision was taken to contain the spread of COVID-19. He said, "Passes will be issued to devotees as the congregation will be numerically restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic." The government has directed that preparations for Kumbha Mela must be completed by December 2020.