Kanwar Yatra was never about violence, but sharing, caring and togetherness. It definitely was never a spectacle as it has become today
It is the holy month of Shravan and in north India Shiva devotees are undertaking the tough ‘Kanwar Yatra’, bringing the holy Ganga water in ‘kanwars’ hoisted on their shoulders to their native places. While Shiva devotees are on their annual journey, again some of them have been drawing attention for all the wrong reasons, brandishing weapons like swords, indulging in loot, vandalism and blocking roads over trivial reasons.
On Monday the police arrested four Kanwariyas in separate incidents on charges of vandalism and creating a ruckus by blocking the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway in Haridwar district.
Some Kanwariyas created a ruckus near the Rohalki flyover on the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway “over some trivial matter and obstructed traffic by putting up barricades”. Meanwhile, two other Kanwariyas were arrested for vandalism in Haridwar. The video showed them smashing glasses kept in the shop with sticks.
Kanwar yatra
Every year, Kanwarias collect water from the Ganga and carry it in a palanquin to offer it to Lord Shiva.
The belief is that offering water to Lord Shiva helps cut the pain of poison he has been carrying since ‘samudra manthan’.
Those walking the path of devotion, penance and pain say the journey was never about violence but caring, sharing, devotion and togetherness.
And it definitely was never a spectacle or a show of grandeur and might it has become today.
The question is who is to blame for this shift?
What has changed
Like every year, Hindu devotees are there on the Har Ki Pudi ghat in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar to bring back the holy water to their native places.
On any given day, dedicated devotees can be spotted walking home with the ‘kanwars’ on their shoulders.
While the majority of those undertaking this walk of faith are genuine devotees, there are also trouble-makers and rogue elements giving a bad name to the yatra of faith. There have been incidents of Kanwariyas violating traffic rules, blocking roads and indulging in violence on their way back from Haridwar.
The Uttarakhand police and the Uttar Pradesh police have not been able to tackle these elements, and there are reasons for that.
Hindutva groups have been targeting roadside dhabas and stalls, raising disputes over nameplates and religious identity of owners and workers.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought response from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea challenging the State’s directive mandating the display of QR codes on all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route, which reveal the names and identities of the owners.
In fact the Apex Court in 2024 had prohibited the enforcement of the public notice issued by police in Muzaffarnagar district, directing hotels, dhabas, and shops to display names of owners and employees.
But still, a worker was allegedly forced to remove his pants so his religion could be verified before the Kanwar Yatra started this year.
