Yogi Adityanath has reportedly asked cinema halls to show the logo of the religious Mela before the screening of films.

In a bid to popularise the Kumbh Mela logo and make people realise the importance of this religious festival, the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government has reportedly asked cinema halls to show the logo of the religious Mela before the screening of films. The new logo shows a group of sadhus taking a holy dip at the Sangam in Allahabad in the backdrop of temples and a Swastik symbol, as per a PTI report. The decision comes soon after the Yogi Adityanath government announced that all official letters will carry the Kumbh logo. The Kumbh Mela, which has lately joined the UNESCO’s list of intangible world heritage, is scheduled to be held in January 2019 in Allahabad. On January 1, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed departments concerned to complete preparations for the Kumbh Mela “well in time”.

Principal Secretary (Tourism) Avnish Awasthi told PTI that the Entertainment department will ask cinema halls to display the Kumbh Mela logo immediately after National Anthem and before the start of a film. “The logo will make people understand the importance of the religious festival,” Awasthi said. The logo comprising temples, seers, a Kalash (pitcher) and a ‘Swastika’, was launched by Governor Ram Naik at a function held at Raj Bhawan which was also attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on December 14. In the function, the Governor had also launched Kumbh Mela’s tagline ‘Chalo Kumbh chalo-chalo, Kumbh chalo’.

In a circular last month, the UP government had also made it compulsory to carry the logo in all government publicity material, including hoardings and advertisements, with immediate effect.

The chief minister had recently interacted with seers of the Akhada Parishad and the Allahabad administration while reviewing preparations for Magh Mela and Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh Mela was last held in Allahabad in 2013.