The Kanwar Yatra begins today (July 22), the first day of the Hindu month of Shravan. More than three crore Shiv devotees are expected to take part in the yatra this year. Every year, the kanwariyas, devotees of Shiva, transport Ganga water to their hometowns to offer to the Lord, mostly from Haridwar in Uttarakhand or Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.
This yatra has gained popularity in recent years, with participants – mostly men – dressed in saffron, holding flags featuring Shiva and carrying pots of plastic, brass or steel with the holy water. Let’s take a closer look. Kanwar Yatra’s rising popularity The Kanwar Yatra procession sees Kanwariyas collecting water from the Ganga and carrying it hundreds of kilometres to offer it in temples of Lord Shiva.
According to Hindus, Parshuram, a devotee of Shiva and an avatar of Lord Vishnu, ventured on the first procession. In 2022, about four crore people collected Ganga water in Haridwar alone. Last year, a total of 4.
07 crore kanwariyas, including 21 lakh women, visited Haridwar and over 46 lakh vehicles reached the holy city between July 4 and 15. The rush of dak kanwariyas, who carry Ganga water to their hometowns on bikes or vehicles without stopping during the procession, had triggered traffic blockades for 10-12 hours at several locations in Haridwar. At least 13 devotees had lost their lives, with three due to drowning and others from accidents.
This year, crores of Kanwariyas are likely to make the journey again. Reasons behind the popularity It was not always this crowded. Until the late 1980s, the scale of Kanwar Yatra was much smaller with just a few thousand undertaking the journey.
It gained a significant push in the mid-90s. There has also been a change in the composition of Kanwariyas, who are now mostly young males. Just a little over a decade back, saffron-clad men and women were seen plodding on the roads of Haridwar and Delhi, as per a Hindustan Times (HT) report.
Now, young men in groups blaring loud music are seen on the roads. Most of these Kanwariyas are young men from low-income families in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, working in the informal economy as drivers, labourers and security guards, the report added. According to HT , the yatra gives them an “escape” from their daily uncertainties.
“The Kanwar Yatra is their one chance to prove their talents – physical strength, resourcefulness, wit – without being faced with market realities,” according to the newspaper. Devotion is also what brings so many people on this pilgrimage every year. This is visible in the replies of many men who told HT in 2017 about their participation: “Bhole has called me”.
“If you see Kanwariyas in any other city across the country, be it Agra, Kashi or even in Rajasthan, they are the people who believe in rigorous worship,” Narendra Pal, a property dealer in Delhi, told The Wire in 2018. He said that those from Delhi-NCR are quite interested in the “luxury services of Kanwar Seva Shivirs”, where they get food and rest. ALSO READ : Kanwar Yatra: History & Significance Boost to economy The Kanwar Yatra also gives a fillip to the economy in the regions where the pilgrims pass.
Thousands of eateries, clothes sellers, fruit vendors, pitcher (kanwar) sellers, and other shopkeepers benefit from the yatra every year. As per an HT report, a kanwariya spends Rs 3,000 to 4,000 on average on the procession. While covering hundreds of kilometres, many times on foot, kanwariyas stop at roadside camps, eateries and dhabas before reaching their native places.
Kanwariyas say the yatra has become easier over the years despite the hot and humid weather. “When I was younger, there weren’t so many places to halt or food stops,” Manoj Kumar, a pilgrim in his 50s, told The Hindu last year. Speaking to HT , Sonu Pal, who has a dhaba on National Highway 58, said eateries earn twice as much during the yatra than on other days.
“We used to do business of Rs 2 to 2.5 lakh a month on normal days. But (the) heavy influx of kanwariyas gives us the opportunity to earn more during the yatra,” he said.
The Kanwar Yatra is beginning and the state governments have ensured to make the pilgrim comfortable for the Shiva devotees. With input from agencies.
