This Year, 5 Million People Gather at 'Kumbmela'
Residents are participating in India's largest Hindu festival held at the Ganges River without wearing masks. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] In India, where COVID-19 cases are exploding, millions of people were seen enjoying the festival 'no-mask'.
On the 12th (local time), millions of people enjoyed the largest Hindu festival 'Kumbh Mela' along the banks of the Ganges River in Haridwar, Uttarakhand in northern India. Most participants were not wearing masks.
As COVID-19 cases are increasing exponentially in India recently, concerns are growing.
Kumbh Mela is a Hindu festival where people visit four sacred sites with holy rivers to perform bathing rituals and cleanse their sins.
Residents are participating in India's largest Hindu festival held at the Ganges River without wearing masks. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Hindus believe that immersing themselves in the river during the festival washes away sins and makes it easier to escape the cycle of reincarnation. For this reason, despite concerns about COVID-19 infection, crowds are gathering.
CNN reported that 5 million people gathered for this year's Kumbh Mela. It was also estimated that 650,000 people bathed just in the morning of that day.
The daily new COVID-19 cases in India have been rapidly increasing recently. On the 12th, it recorded a record high of 168,912 cases, and on the 13th, 161,736 cases, marking the highest number of infections in the world for consecutive days.
As of that day, India's cumulative confirmed cases reached 13,689,453, and cumulative deaths were 171,058. With the Kumbh Mela festival taking place, there are concerns that the spread of COVID-19 will worsen further.
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