Kanwar yatra uncertain over fear of another Covid-19 wave
HARIDWAR: With the devastating Covid second wave and fear of a possible third wave, uncertainty looms over Kanwar yatra, that sees a footfall of over three crore pilgrims.
Uncertainty over the pilgrimage has put the fate of traders in a lurch that pin hope of livelihood during this period.
Aslam, from suburban Jwalapur area of Haridwar, is in dilemma whether to make the bamboo-based decorative Kanwars in bulk for the devotees to fetch water from Ganga.
In pre-covid period, Aslam along with dozens of fellow artists, used to make thousands of Kanwars, which used to be sold anywhere from ₹25 to 500 per piece. Through sale of items such as Kanwars, plastic-metal cans to ferry holy Ganga waters, Kanwar yatra is the time for business to flourish.
But last year, Kanwar pilgrimage was called off owing to the pandemic that dealt a major blow to the Kanwar makers and other people associated with the fair.
Now, with Char Dham pilgrimage not being allowed for pilgrims from other states, Kanwar yatra too seems to be heading the same way for the second year in a row. Haridwar district magistrate C Ravi Shankar and senior superintendent of police D Senthil Aboodai Krishan Raj said that the decision has to be taken by the state government and thereafter further action will be taken.
“In accordance with Covid scenario, the state government should take a call on Kanwar fair. With certain guidelines and Covid protocol, if possible, then it should be given a nod,” said state traders union president Sanjeev Chaudhary.
Mahamandaleshwar of Shri Bada Udasin Akhada Swami Harichetnanand Maharaj said that whether it’s the Char Dham, Mahakumbh or Kanwar yatra, these are interlinked with faith, tradition and the livelihood of the people in this region.
“State government should figure out in what way it can conduct the pilgrimage following the Covid protocols,” said Swami Harichetnanand.
City legislator Madan Kaushik pointed that the Covid-19 second wave has severely affected not only religious events but the normal life of people and the decision to hold the Kanwar fair will be taken from Central and state government level.
Kanwar yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Shiva devotees to Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch holy waters of Ganga. The devotees gather Ganga water and carry it across hundreds of miles to offer the same in their local Shaiva shrines. During Kanwar yatra, which kicks off in monsoons (July), the devotees throng Uttarakhand from Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
This year, Maha Shivratri falls on August 6 and the Kanwar yatra, if held, will commence by July 22.