Amid the Covid-19 situation, the Uttar Pradesh government gave a go-ahead to the annual Kanwar Yatra from July 25, and directed officials to coordinate with the neighbouring states to ensure Covid guidelines are followed, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary Navneet Sehgal has said detailed guidelines of the Yatra will be issued soon and a meeting to discuss the matter will be held. He said the chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked to coordinate with the neighbouring states like Bihar and Uttarakhand to ensure the Covid protocols are put in place during the yatra.
Last year, the pilgrimage was not held in Uttar Pradesh due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government, already in the dock for allowing the Kumbh Mela in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic, has cancelled the yatra this year. The state government has appealed to officers of neighbouring states to ask devotees to not come to Haridwar this month for the annual pilgrimage to collect water from the Ganga.
Even as Uttarakhand is closed for Kanwar yatra, Lord Shiva devotees in Uttar Pradesh have several holy sites they could visit to bring back Ganga Jal. Apart from Haridwar, Kanwariya visits Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the waters of river Ganga.
It is being reported that the government is likely to put in restrictions on the number of devotees allowed in temples at the same time. It is likely that not more than five persons will be allowed inside temples at one time. Social distancing, wearing of masks etc will also be compulsory.
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage carried out by the devotees of Lord Shiva, the kanwariyas, who collect water from the River Ganga and offer that at Shiva temples in their respective states.
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The pilgrimage takes place during the Hindu month of Shrawan spread over July and August. Crores of kanwariyas come from far-off places, covering hundreds of kilometres on foot, carrying pots filled with Ganga Jal which is then carried back to their homes or revered temples and poured on the Shivling.