PRAYAGRAJ: A sharp drop in temperature during the first Snan festival of the Mahakumbh has resulted in the deaths of two devotees and a rise in hospital admissions.
Throughout the day, hospitals in the fair area experienced a significant surge in patient admissions, with medical facilities becoming increasingly crow
On Sunday, Tapan Majumdar (54) from Karbi Anglong, Assam, collapsed on Triveni Marg after taking a dip in the Sangam. He had been asking about tickets for the Paush Purnima festival on January 13. Shortly after, he lost consciousness and was rushed to the Central Hospital at the Parade Ground, where he was declared dead.
His companion, Karunakant Sharma, stated that Majumdar showed no signs of distress before collapsing. Doctors confirmed he had stopped breathing by the time he arrived at the hospital.
Earlier that day, Shanti Bai (52) from Nagda Bharatpur, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, was admitted to the same hospital. She was accompanied by her son, Ajay Patel. Despite efforts in the ICU, she was also declared dead.
Dr. Manoj Kumar Kaushik, Chief Medical Superintendent, said both deaths were likely caused by the severe cold. He added that the plunging temperatures have led to an increase in patients at hospitals across the fairground.
Meanwhile, earlier, the six-week Maha Kumbh Mela, considered the most important event in Hinduism, is to start on Monday in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. This mammoth festival is likely to attract more than 400 million visitors who are going to gather at the sacred triveni sangam where the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers merge to take their ritualistic dip which will clean their sins and provide salvation.
It is said that the beginning of the festival is from a myth about the god Vishnu and the battle in heaven over a pitcher of immortality where four drops of nectar fell on Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik, and this is why Kumbh Mela is held in rotation every 12 years. However, Maha Kumbh takes place only once in 144 years, and it has been said to be especially auspicious.
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