Kanwar Yatra: Haridwar has drawn over 3 crore pilgrims this year

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India]: More than three crore devotees of Lord Shiva have, so far, thronged to Haridwar to collect holy water from the Ganges for “Jalabhishek” during the month of Saawan.
Speaking to media, the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), Ashok Kumar, said the Kanwar Yatra is inching towards its peak, “More than 3 crore devotees of Lord Shiva visited Haridwar before heading back to wherever they came from after collecting holy water from the Ganges.” Officials informed that the onus is on the Haridwar Police to manage the arrival of Kanwariyas and their vehicles.

SSP Haridwar, Ajay Singh and his police team cleared all the routes to the pilgrimage site and about 55,000 vehicles and more than 8 lakh mobiles departed for their destinations with the pilgrims after collecting holy water.

The wheels from the city to the countryside paused for a few hours on Friday as the Kanwars arrived. The two-wheelers numbered in lakhs, with the weather clearing, said officials.

Earlier, in July, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a surprise inspection of ‘Kavad Patti’ at Haridwar’s Shankaracharya Chowk amid the ongoing Kanwar Yatra.

The CM sought feedback from officials about the arrangements made by the administration for the Kanwariyas coming from different states.

During his visit, CM also greeted Kanwariyas by showering petals on them. He also interacted with them, checking on their well-being and getting their feedback on the arrangements by the government to facilitate their pilgrimage.

Inspecting the temporary medical camp at Shankaracharya Chowk, CM Dhami directed officials to ensure adequate arrangements to ensure that the Kanwariyas are in good health while making the prilgrimage.

The CM participated in a programme organised at Om Pul, near Damkothi, Ganga Ghat, in Haridwar and welcomed Lord Shiva devotees from different states to Devbhoomi by washing their feet and offering them Gangajal.

He also planted saplings in Damkothi to reaffirm his government’s commitment to the protection of the environment and ensuring a clean Kanwar Yatra.

The CM said serving the Kanwars should be seen as a virtue.

“Our government has made adequate arrangements for health camps, toilets, parking, tin sheds, and resting places for the Kanwariyas. The arrangements this year are much inproved compared to last year,” Dhami said.

The CM informed further that the state, this year, is likely to draw a significant count of Kanwariyas and his government has made adequate arrangements for the same.