"kumbh"

Putting an end to VIP culture should be one of the key lessons for the authorities to learn from Kumbh Mela apart from crowd management

"I prayed that two 'shahi snan' have taken place and Kumbh (participation) should now be kept symbolic. This will boost the fight against this crisis," the prime minister tweeted in Hindi.

Over the last five days, a total of 2167 people were found positive for coronavirus in Haridwar -- the place where the month-long Kumbh is going on.

"Kumbh is at the bank of the River Ganga. Maa Ganga's blessings are there in the flow. So, there should be no corona," added the chief minister.

The 'Snans' are a part of the Kumbh Mela that is supposed to be held in Haridwar from April 1 to April 30.

The first shahi snan was held on March 11 on the occasion of Mahashivratri, while the second is being held today and on April 14, the third shahi snan will be taken by the 13 akhadas.

The Uttarakhand government has also emphasised reducing the duration of Kumbh as they fear becoming a hot spot of the virus.