Indian Express
Gangajal at police stations, facility camps, closure of meat, liquor shops: States vie to roll out red carpet for Kanwariyas
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami washed the feet of Kanwar pilgrims in Haridwar, saying that he was ‘serving Kanwariyas as a mark of respect to them’
By: Express News Service
New Delhi | July 10, 2023 12:46 IST
Haridwar: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the Kanwar Mela, in Haridwar, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (PTI Photo)
On July 8, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami washed the feet of Kanwar Yatris in Haridwar. Saying that he was “serving Kanwariyas as a mark of respect to them”, Dhami pointed out that all adequate arrangements have been made for the Yatra this year, including health camps, toilets, parking, tin sheds, among others. This year’s Kanwar Yatra beginning July 5 would continue till July 15.
Last year saw similar scenes in Uttarakhand, with the BJP government even making budgetary allocations for the Kanwar pilgrimage for the first time. Dhami had washed the feet of Kanwariyas then too.
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual event which sees lakhs of devotees undertaking pilgrimage to places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, Gangotri in Uttarakhand, Sultanganj in Bihar, and Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The Yatris return by carrying Ganga water in kanwars to seek the blessings of Mahadev. The Yatra sees the governments in various states taking several measures to facilitate the pilgrims.
