'Yamraj' himself gets COVID vaccine in Indore; Cop's creative act to promote vaccination

Imagine the God of Death, Yamraj, himself warning you against being unhealthy and ill. If you find it difficult to picture this, you may ask an Indori who saw it in reality!

Yes, that's how it transpired in Indore when a policeman took the COVID vaccine jab sporting the costume of Yamaraj, the Hindu God of death, as reported recently. Aimed at spreading awareness about the vaccination amongst frontline workers, the astonishing visual not only garnered multiple sights physically but became an instant hit on social media platforms too!

Multiple acts like this played in the past!

Clothed in a black dress adorned with golden fabric, wearing a silver crown and holding a gada, the policeman asked all frontline workers to take their vaccine jabs on designated dates as he himself received the first dose. This is not the first time that such an interesting trick is tried to spread awareness regarding a possible threat. Previously, such acts have been deployed to promote the usage of helmets and to prevent people from crossing rail gates.

Indore had witnessed a similar spectacle at the start of the pandemic when another policeman donned Yamaraj's dress to spread information about coronavirus and deter individuals from violating the mandated provisions of the curfew. Similar acts have also been observed in different parts of the country. In Bangalore, policemen dressed as Yamaraj and Yamdoot scared off citizens roaming on the streets during the early days of the lockdown. Alternatively, a policeman with a helmet customised to coronavirus theme in Chennai had also gained considerable popularity.

A senior representative from the police department informed that the police officers were being vaccinated as part of the drive for frontline workers. Currently, the officials and staff above the age of 50 are being immunised on a priority basis.

Stable COVID count in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh recorded 1,951 active cases of coronavirus on Thursday. As of now, the state has witnessed 2,56,899 confirmed cumulative cases of the virus and 3,827 fatalities. In the state, 4,31,702 doses of the COVID vaccine have been successfully administered till now. The tally of COVID positive patients stood at 316 for Indore on Thursday.