The Ganga River Holy Bathing Ceremony In The Middle Of COVID

JAKARTA - Tens of thousands of Hindus threw themselves into the Ganges River, India on Thursday, March 11 when the country started one of the world's largest religious celebrations. Officials are concerned about a surge in COVID-19.

Previously, the authorities had indeed reported the largest spike in corona virus cases in three months. The Hindu zuhud known as Naga sadhus are mostly naked with a sprinkling of ashes and carry swords or tridents.

The clan leads the holy bathers at the Kumbh Mela or pitcher festival, in the northern city of Haridwar. All participants at this year's event, which runs until the end of April, are required to show negative coronavirus test results before being allowed into the festival venue, authorities said.

But there is little evidence of social distancing being imposed on Thursday as participants in the holy bath jostle by the riverbank. Devout Hindus believe that bathing in the waters of the Ganges frees people from sin, and during the Kumbh Mela brings salvation from the cycle of life and death.

More than 22,000 people had bathed in the holy river at 0800 local time (0230 GMT), police overseeing the festival said, a number expected to increase significantly throughout the day.

Authorities say that more than 100 million people attended the festival in 2019, the last time it was held. It is estimated that this year's figure will be less.

After a nearly three-month lockdown last year that was one of the most violent in the world, India has relaxed nearly all movement restrictions since its peak in cases in September, including the reopening of its sprawling stadium for cricket matches, one of the country's national obsessions. .

However, India's number of COVID-19 cases has surged again, placing it among the top five countries reporting the most daily new infections.

Officials reported 22,854 new infections on Thursday, the highest in nearly three months, bringing the country's total cases to 11.3 million. Deaths rose by 126 to 158,189, health ministry data showed.