Breaking News:Juna Akhada chief announces the end of Kumbh mela

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed that the Kumbh Mela in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar “should only be symbolic” amid an unprecedented increase in coronavirus cases across the country, Swami Avdheshanand Giri – one of the top seers in the country – announced an early end to the month-long mega festival for Juna Akhara.

“Our first priority is the protection of the people of India (against Covid). In view of the coronavirus pandemic, we have performed the visarjan of all Gods. This is the end of Kumbh for Juna Akhara,” he tweeted in Hindi.