Covid casts shadow on Kanwar Yatra for second year in row
The Kanwar pilgrimage, which is scheduled to commence by July 22, was called off in 2020 because of the pandemic and there is no clarity yet whether it will be allowed this year
Aslam, an artisan in Haridwar, is unsure whether he should make in bulk Kanwars the devotees of Lord Shiva carry to fetch the holy Ganga waters during an annual pilgrimage. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Aslam and his fellow artists would make thousands of Kanwars and sell them for up to 500 per piece. The second Covid-19 wave has cast a shadow on the pilgrimage and hit people such as Aslam badly for the second year in a row.
The bulk of the devotees fetch the holy waters from Haridwar, and the pilgrimage is a major source of business in the city. The Kanwar pilgrimage, which is scheduled to commence by July 22, was called off in 2020 because of the pandemic and there is no clarity yet whether it will be allowed this year.
Also Read | Haridwar testing probe: 8-member team calling 98,000 phone numbers
The Char Dham pilgrimage to the four revered Hindu temples in Uttarakhand has been restricted to the pilgrims from the state.
Officials said the state administration is unlikely to take any chances after the Mahakumbh experience. Haridwar district magistrate C Ravi Shankar and senior police superintendent D Senthil Aboodai Krishan Raj said the state government has to make a decision.
Kumbh Mela was held in Haridwar in April even as experts warned that social distancing and adequate testing will be impossible at a time when the infections were climbing across the country. Eventually, 9.1 million pilgrims took the holy dip in the Ganga from January 14 to April 27. The bulk of this — at least six million people — congregated in April, coinciding with the worst surge in the second wave.
State Traders Union president Sanjeev Chaudhary said in accordance with the Covid-19 scenario, the government should take a call on the Kanwar Yatra. “With certain guidelines and Covid protocol, if possible, then it should be given a go-ahead.”
Swami Harichetnanand Maharaj, the Mahamandaleshwar of Shri Bada Udasin Akhada, said Char Dham, Mahakumbh Mela, and Kanwar Mela are interlinked with faith, tradition, and the livelihoods of the people in the region. “The state government should see in what way it can ensure religious events like Kanwar Yatra amid adherence to Covid-19 guidelines.”
Legislator Madan Kaushik said the second Covid-19 wave has severely affected not only religious events but normal life as well.
Millions of people participate in the Kanwar Yatra annually to fetch Ganga waters. They carry the waters across the country for offerings at Shaiva temples. The Uttarakhand government makes special arrangements for the devotees.