Kanwar Yatra Begins: 5 Points On What It's All About

The Kanwar Yatra is taking place after a gap of two years due to COVID-19. The authorities in Uttarakhand hope that at least 4 crore devotees (called Kanwariyas) will come to Haridwar and neighbouring Rishikesh - the two holy cities in Uttarakhand.

Senior police officials in Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun said that the state government has prohibited pilgrims from carrying swords, tridents and sticks during the pilgrimage. "Instructions were given to all the police stations and outpost in-charges to seize them on the borders of the district itself," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Janmejay Khanduri told news agency ANI.

The state police have made elaborate security arrangements for the nearly two-week-long pilgrimage. Strict vigil is being maintained through CCTV cameras, drones and monitoring of the social media, the police said. Haridwar and adjoining areas have been divided into 12 super zones, 31 zones and 133 sectors with the deployment of around 10,000 police personnel.

The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's devotees that takes place during the Hindu month of Sawan. The Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga. They then worship God with the same water.

This year, the Sawan month started on July 14 and will end on August 12. Four Mondays fall during this period - July 18, July 25, August 1, and August 8.