The ongoing Kumbh in Haridwar has been called off hours after PM Modi's request to keep religious event 'symbolic' amid Covid-19 crisis.
Swami Avdheshanand, who is the chief of Juna Akhada, said that given the rising number of coronavirus cases emerging from Haridwar, the Kumbh Mela has been called off.
Kumbh, which has seen people attending the event in large numbers, has drawn flak as the number of Covid-19 cases have zoomed at a rapid pace in the past few days. The Kumbh has already been shortened this year to just one month from April 1 to 30 due to the pandemic. In normal circumstances, the event, which comes once in 12 years, is held from mid January to April.