New Delhi:
A woman undergoing treatment for cancer took a dip in the Ganga river on Monday, hoping the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya turns the tides for her and helps her battle the disease.
Nirmala came to the Maha Kumbh fair grounds on a wheelchair and will depart for Mumbai today, where she will undergo chemotherapy at the Tata Memorial Hospital. Currently suffering from metastatic cancer, she had earlier undergone a gall bladder operation, after which the cancer surfaced in her head and then her lymph nodes.
Though the woman is undergoing treatment since two years, her cancer has not been cured yet. Speaking to NDTV, her husband said that while Nirmala still has some time left, she should take a dip in the holy river. “The doctors have given up. The rest is upto God. Maybe she will be cured,” he said, in tears.
The couple, who is visiting Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj with their son, witnessed the stampede that has left 30 women injured. Nirmala said she saw people breaking barricades and falling down.
Around 30 women were injured when a stampede-like situation unfolded at the Maha Kumbh on the morning of Mauni Amavasya, prompting Akharas to defer the holy dip. As crores of devotees streamed into the tent city in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj ahead of the ‘Amrit Snan’, barricades about a kilometre away from the ‘Sangam’ broke leading some women to faint. As the unconscious women fell, the stampede-like situation began.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to people to take a dip in the Ganga at their nearest ghats and not try to reach the Sangam Nose. “All ghats hold equal spiritual significance and reaching the main confluence point should not be a priority,” the statement quoted the chief minister as saying.
Multiple bathing ghats have been designated across the mela area, ensuring that everyone can take a dip comfortably and safely. The arrangements have been made to prevent overcrowding and maintain the sanctity of the occasion, Adityanath said.
According to a government statement about 2.78 crore people had taken the holy dip till 8 am. The total number of devotees who had taken a bath since January 13 had reached nearly 19.94 crore by this time.
This year, a rare celestial alignment called ‘Triveni Yog’ is occurring after 144 years, amplifying the spiritual significance of the day. The ‘Amrit Snan’ on ‘Mauni Amavasya’ is expected to draw around 10 crore pilgrims. The Maha Kumbh Began in January 13 and will end on February 26.