Kanwariyas begin ‘Kanwar Yatra’ in UP, Uttarakhand to seek blessing of Lord Shiva

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], July 20 (ANI): ‘Kanwariyas’ on Saturday began the ‘Kanwar Yatra’ from Uttarakhand’s Haridwar and Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar on foot to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva, as the auspicious month of ‘Sawan’ will begin on July 22.

The Uttarakhand police administration has made tight security arrangements ahead of the holy month of Sawan.

At the same time, in view of the ‘Kanwar Yatra’, the administration has also made tight arrangements for the security of the Kanwariyas.

One of the Kanwariyas (devotees) said that in Uttarakhand, the arrangements are not that good as compared to Uttar Pradesh.

The Kanwariyas carrying Kanwar said that they have unwavering faith in Lord Shiva, which is why we carry Kanwar on foot and perform Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva.

“Lord Shiva fulfils all our wishes. Whatever wish we make, it is fulfilled. We do not face any kind of difficulty on the entire way because Lord Shiva removes all our difficulties. The police administration has made good arrangements for the Kavadis. We have not faced any kind of problem since coming here. The Uttarakhand government has also made good arrangements for food, drink, and accommodation for the Kavadis,” Kanwariya said.

Meanwhile, Kanwariyas of Uttar Pradesh started the Yatra from Muzaffarnagar on foot to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva.

“There are arrangements for Bhandara’s, and police officers are also corporative. For me, the advisory that has been made in Muzaffarnagar is good. No religion is bad, but there are a few people who are bad in every religion. I find the advisory good,” he said.

Another Kanwar Yatri suggested the yatri keep an eye on what they are eating en route to the Kanwar Yatra.

“Uttar Pradesh is better than Haridwar. The food that is available here is cheap as compared to Haridwar, and the arrangements made here are also good,” he said.

After the Uttar Pradesh government mandated all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names, triggering political outrage, the Haridwar Police Administration on Friday issued an order to restaurant owners to display names on the Kanwar Yatra route.

The Kanwar Yatra is a significant ritual during this period. People gather water from sacred rivers for this rite and place it in little mud pots known as kanwars. Devotees don saffron-coloured clothes while carrying the holy water and walk on foot to visit temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Devotees who are termed Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand, and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga and then worship God with that water.

In the Hindu calendar, ‘Sawan’ also known as ‘Shravan’ is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar, is one of the holiest months of the year.

Every Monday during this period is regarded as a highly auspicious time to fast and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva.

The month of ‘Sawan’ will begin from July 22.