Odisha bans religious gatherings; no holy dip at Haridwar, Rishikesh either

Bhubaneswar/ Dehradun: Authorities in Odisha Tuesday banned religious gatherings at river banks and ghats on Makar Sankranti and Pongal on January 14, while the Uttarakhand government also disallowed devotees from taking a dip in the Ganga at Haridwar and Rishikesh in view of the coronavirus surge.

The move came even as experts warned that allowing the annual Gangasagar Mela -- scheduled between January 8 and 16 on the occasion of Makar Sankranti -- on Sagar Islands, which is about 130 kms from Kolkata, could turn out to be a "super-spreader" event.

According to government orders issued in Uttarakhand, devotees have been asked not to take a bath on Makar Sakranti on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar and Rishikesh in view of the surge in Covid cases.

The entry of devotees to Har ki Pauri in Haridwar, Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh, and other ghats has been banned, Haridwar District Magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey and Dehradun District Magistrate R Rajesh Kumar said in their separate orders.

A large number of devotees take the 'holy dip' in the Ganga in Haridwar and Rishikesh on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. COVID cases have been rising in Uttarakhand over the past few days with a total of 2,127 infections reported on Tuesday and 1,292 the day before.

In Odisha, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said in a fresh set of guidelines that congregations at river banks, ghats, ponds, sea shores or near other waterbodies for bathing on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and Pongal and on the following day is prohibited throughout the state.

Since large crowds gather at the temples on the occasion, the order said that all religious places and places of worship will remain closed to the people on Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Makal Mela days.

However, religious rituals will allowed with bare minimum number of priests, servitors and staff, it said.

"Religious congregations/ celebrations are strictly prohibited, the order said.

People are advised to perform the rituals and puja on the occasion at their homes with only their family members. They should avoid mass gatherings and adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols, it said.

Odisha recorded 7,071 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a sharp rise of 46 per cent over the previous day's figure of 4829 cases and the biggest one-day spike in over seven months, the health department said.

The authorities in the two states announced the ban even as health experts once again advised going ahead with the annual Gangasagar Mela.

They said that the Mela, akin to the Kumbh Mela held at Haridwar and Allahabad among other places, which attracts lakhs of people could transform into a "hot source of transmission of the coronavirus".