What is Kanwar Yatra? Why Do People Celebrate it? Political Chaos in Uttar Pradesh. Discover more

In the auspicious month of Savan, people celebrate Mahadev. They perform rituals to please Shiva (one of the three important Gods of Hinduism) as before according to the Hindu mythology the world is operated by Vishnu. As he goes to take rest in this month the work is shared between many Gods. Shiva takes the responsibility in this month.

Kanwar Yatra

From the river banks of divine Ganga, devotees carry Kanwar back to their home. This is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by the devotees of lord Shiva known as the “Kanwariyas” or “Bhole”. This Pilgrimage include devotes travelling to sacred sites such as Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri and then collecting the holy river’s water. They bring back the holy water to their local temples to perform rituals and offerings.

Features:

• The main aim of performing the Kanwar Yatra Is to fetch Ganga Jal and offer it to Shiva Lingams at various temples. This act is believed to bring blessings and fulfil the wishes of the devotees.
• Devotees carry the water in specially designed containers known as Kanwar, which are typically bamboo poles with two pots attached at either end. Many participants walk barefoot for long distances, often covering hundreds of kilometres.
• The origin of Kanwar Yatra can be traced back to the Hindu mythology, particularly the ancient story of the Samudra Manthan which gave the “Amrit”. According to legend, after Lord Shiva consumed poison to save the world, devotees began the practice of pouring Ganga water over him to alleviate his suffering. This tradition evolved into the Kanwar Yatra, which gained popularity in the late 20^th century, becoming one of the largest religious gatherings in India, with millions participating each year.

Practices and Routes

• The most popular path, where devotees collect water from the Ganges at Haridwar and travel to various temples, including the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple on Rishikesh.
• Devotees fetch water from these holy sites and travel to temples like Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Baidyanath in Varanasi and Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Jharkhand.
• Pilgrims collect Ganga water at Sultan Ganj and walk approximately 105 kilometres to Baidyanath Temple.

Ways of Performing Kanwar Yatra

• People tie various decorative cloths and accessories to a bamboo stick with two baskets on each side in which they put holy water of Ganga. They carry it on their shoulders and are not allowed to put the Kanwar down.
• They tie cans filled with Ganga water to a rope and put it around their necks and walk from the banks of the river ganga towards their homes performing rituals in the temples that comes in way of their homes.
• Another way is quite like a relay race people carry holy things from ganga while running and without taking a break.

Political Chaos

The Kanwar Yatra have become a focal point of Uttar Pradesh politics. The state authority implemented regulations that require shop owners along the pilgrimage routes to display their names prominently. Additionally, in Varanasi meat shops are mandated to close during the entire month of Sawan, coinciding with Yatra. These measures have sparked significant backlash, with critics arguing that they could exacerbate communal tensions and disrupt local economies.

These measures have led to dissent even within the ruling National Democratic Alliance, with opposition parties accusing the government of undermining social cohesion. The situation reflects broader societal fault lines and raises concerns about the politicization of religious events.

Historical events of violence and chaos during the Yatra, including vandalism and traffic disruption have heightened the urgency for effective administrative planning. The government’s ability to manage the pilgrimage safely is under scrutiny, especially given the expected influx of millions of devotees this year