A day after the Shri Ganga Sabha, which manages religious activities at various ghats of Haridwar, demanded a ban on the entry of non-Hindus into Ardh-Kumbh mela premises, religious leader Sadhvi Prachi also made a similar demand on Tuesday (January 6, 2026).
The 45-day-long fair is scheduled to begin in Haridwar on January 14, 2026, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a Hindu festival that celebrates the winter harvest. The government is expecting at least 6-7 crore visitors to the fair, which will end on Maha Shivratri.
Speaking to the media, Sadhvi Prachi cited the Red Fort car blast case in New Delhi and sought a ban on the entry of non-Hindus into the fair area.
“ To avoid a similar incident at the Kumbh Mela, where millions of Hindu devotees will gather to take a holy dip in the Ganga, the government should take a firm stand on this issue and ban the entry of non-Hindus into the area,” she said.
A day earlier, Shri Ganga Sabha president Nitin Gautam told The Hindu that the organisation had urged the government to declare the fair area ‘exclusive’ for Hindus.
