Just like every year, lakhs of devotees have embarked on the religious Kanwar Yatra in the auspicious month of Sawan to secure Gangajal and give their devotional offering to Bhagwan Mahadev.
Apart from Haridwar, these kanwariyas carry water from Gaumukh and Gangotri. Similarly, in Sultanganj of Bihar, Prayagraj of UP, Ayodhya, and Varanasi, Kanwariyas offer Gangajal to Mahadev. From Uttarakhand to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh to Jharkhand, special arrangements have been made for the devotees of Lord Shiva in these states.
During the Kanwar yatra, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had asked the administration to make arrangements while respecting the belief of devotees. For this, he also ordered to prohibit the selling of meat on roads from where the Yatra will pass. Additionally, he asked the administration to focus on cleanliness and proper working of street lights.
On the 28th of June, UP CM said, “Respecting the belief of devotees, meat should not be allowed to be sold in the open on the Kanwar route. The route should remain clean and sanitised. There should be provision for streetlights. Since the weather is hot, arrangements for drinking water should also be made.”
On the 7th of July, the officials in Noida asked the meet shop owners to keep their shops closed during the Kanwar Yatra. According to the officials, the decision has been taken to maintain peace between the two communities.
Noida Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Harish Chander stated that such orders are usually enforced during the month of Sawan when the Kanwar Yatra takes place. However, he stated that these directions have been issued only for shops that fall on the pilgrimage route.
Elaborate security measures in place in Ghaziabad
Kanwariyas will get special focus and advanced security in Ghaziabad. The Ghaziabad Police has made tight security arrangements for this year’s Yatra. Around 1000 CCTV cameras and 25 drones have been reportedly deployed on seven roads of Ghaziabad.
Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra highlighted that elaborate security procedure has been chalked out for this year’s Kanwar Yatra. He stressed that there is adequate preparation to deal with any eventuality.
He added that Armed police personnel have been deployed at 80 watch towers to keep a strict vigil around the clock. Additionally, 25 drones will also be deployed to closely monitor the activities of any potential unruly elements.
Earlier, on the 4th of July, the Ghaziabad traffic police announced that it has procured 1,000 litres of Gangajal from Haridwar for the devotees participating in the pilgrimage.
Additional DCP (Traffic) in Ghaziabad, Ramanand Kushwaha said, “The month of Shravan starts on July 4, during which a large number of Shiva devotees carry ‘Gangajal’ from Haridwar to Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and border districts through Ghaziabad. Many times, the water falls, and it is considered impure when it touches the ground. In view of this, the traffic police sent a team to Haridwar ‘Har Ki Pauri’ and brought a total of 1,000 litres of ‘Gangajal’. It would be distributed at all police stations to help the devotees.”
Apart from security arrangements and respecting the beliefs of devotees, society at large has made arrangements that no Kanwariya go on an empty stomach. For this, ashrams, mandirs, and common people have planned Bhandaras on the route of the Kanwar Yatra.
According to some estimates, this year around 5 crore devotees are said to take part in the Kanwar Yatra.
