In UP and Bengal, devotees flout Covid norms to take a dip in Ganga river on Makar Sankranti

Thousands of devotees on Friday took a dip in the Ganga river in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh as a ritual of the Makar Sankranti festival even as the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic continued to rage in India.

In visuals from prominent Hindu pilgrim sites, Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and the Sagar Island in West Bengal, devotees could be seen bathing in the river and crowding on its banks without adhering to Covid-19 norms like physical distancing and use of masks.

However, authorities claimed that they did their best to screen the devotees as per guidelines issued by the state governments.

West Bengal

More than 3.5 lakh pilgrims took the a dip at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district, PTI reported. Since midnight, people have been gathering for the Gangasagar Mela (fair) organised on the river banks and to offer prayers at the nearby Kapil Muni temple.

Speaking to PTI, a district official claimed that they had allowed only those who had shown a negative RT-PCR test report and a certificate of full vaccination. However, locals told the news agency that there was no physical distancing among the pilgrims at the site.

Visuals from #WestBengal‘s #GangasagarMela today morning. Devotees throng…

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