Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious gatherings and a major pilgrimage for Hindus. This year, however, several restrictions have been introduced for the Maha Kumbh at Haridwar due to the coronavirus pandemic. Netizens are sharing an old image of Prayag Kumbh Mela held in 2019 with a caption that the image is of ongoing Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. A Twitter handle, @ShaiqUlHaq1 shared the image with a caption, “Kumbh Mela in COVID surge times. Who is super spreader of COVID in India?” Another Twitter handle shared the video with the caption, “Covid restrictions in Kumbh Mela.”
With the single-day spike in COVID-19 cases setting records last week, India’s second wave is feared to be longer and more intense than the first one. Many states have announced partial lockdowns and more are likely to follow. The fear of a full lockdown has already led some migrant workers to move back from industrial centres and cities to their native villages. Anti Fake News War Room (AWFA) has found that the picture is of the Ardh Kumbh Mela held at Prayagraj in 2019. Using reverse image search, it was found in a report by “China Global Television Network” which carried the picture on January 15, 2019. The caption says, “An aerial view of the five-kilometre main bathing place at the holy Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.”
The “Shahi Snan” in Kumbh 2019 started on 15 January when sadhus took a holy dip in Prayag Triveni Sangam – the meeting points of three rivers – Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. The grand event had begun on January 15 and continued till March 4. Millions of devotees from across the globe participated in what was called the largest congregation of religious pilgrims in the world. However, a huge crowd was seen during this year’s Kumbh Mela despite the rising COVID-19 cases. The Uttarakhand government has mandated a negative RT-PCR test report for the devotees visiting Kumbh Mela, which has been curtailed to one month this year. The Haridwar Kumbh is being held from April 1-30. According to some media houses, the event witnessed a low footfall this year due to the surge in Covid cases. The ‘Shahi Snan’ is supposed to take place on 12, 13, 14, 21, and 27 April.
Hence, the viral image is of 2019 and not of the recent ongoing Kumbh Mela in Haridwar which is being held amid the second wave of coronavirus pandemic.
