At a time when most of the countries in the world are advising against large gatherings of people amid Covid-19 fears, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has decided to go ahead with a Ram Navami Mela in Ayodhya, which is likely to be attended by 1 million devotees. Going against its own advisories regarding the novel coronavirus, the UP government has begun making arrangements for the grand fair scheduled to be held from March 25 to April 2.
The mela or the fair has been an age-old tradition for the Hindus and is of even more significance this year as it is the first one since the Supreme Court paved way for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Several political analysts have pointed out that the UP government does not want to hurt the sentiments of a major community by postponing or cancelling the event because the assembly elections are to be held in two years' time.
Ayodhya CMO not on the same page with UP govt
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Ayodhya, Ghyanshyam Singh, has voiced concerns regarding the mela saying that they do not have enough resources to ensure the safety of 10 lakh people during the coronavirus pandemic. He has also advised the UP government to not hold the event this year.
However, Ayodhya District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha has dismissed the concerns raised by the CMO. He said, "This is a part of the tradition and we will take precautions but there is no plan to cancel the Ram Navami mela. The district administration has been preparing for it since the last month."
The head of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for Ayodhya district Sharad Sharma and BJP leader Ved Prakash Gupta also do not want the event to get cancelled as it will be against "tradition and faith".
Denying the threat of the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 2 lakh and killed over 8000 people across the globe, an Ayodhya based saint named Mahant Paramhans has said Lord Rama will protect the attendees from the fatal virus.
"The mela cannot be stopped as it will hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus. Also, this year it is more important because for the first time Lord Rama is free and he will only make sure that no harm comes to the devotees," he said.
On the other hand, the officials at Shirdi Sai Mandir, Vaishno Devi and several other religious sites in the country have advised people to stay at their homes and not visit.
