Kanwar Teerth Yatra 2010: March of faith

Come sawan and all roads to Haridwar wear saffron colour as Shiva devotees start their annual yatra

P.S. Chauhan

Haridwar is again abuzz with activities. The shops are full with kanwar items, kanwar bazaar is being set up at its usual venue at Pant Dweep and thousands of skilled workers and artisans are busy in and around the city making kanwars. Kanwar Teerth Yatra, popularly known as Kanwar Mela, which is the biggest religious congregation at Haridwar and Rishikesh only next to Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh, formally begins with the onset of the month of Savan which this year begins from July 26. Though a large number of Shiva devotees have already reached Haridwar to fetch Ganga jal from Har-ki-Pauri. While some have proceeded to Gangotri to take Ganga jal. "It is after many decades that the first day of the month of Savan falls on Monday, the day associated with Lord Shiva", says Praveen Jha Shastri, a well-known priest and scholar of Hindu scriptures. The Shiva devotees, after returning to their destinations, will offer this Ganga jal at Shiva temples in the their respective regions on the auspicious occasion of Shiva Chaudas of the month of Savan on August, 8.

Last year nearly 70 lakh kanwarias congregated at Haridwar during the two-week long Kanwar Mela. The sources in the administration say that this year the number of kanwarias wending their way to the holy city is likely to cross 80 lakh.

With the passage of time, the Kanwar Teerth Yatra has undergone a transformation. Till about two or three decades ago, only a few thousands of kanwarias used to visit the holy city. Their number has been swelling with every passing year. Dr. Prateek Misrapuri, the president of the Oriental Studies Society, attributes the spiralling number of devotees turning up at the holy places during the auspicious occasions, including the Kanwar Mela, to the increasing spiritual bent among the people, trying to find solace in rituals and religiosity from the stressful routine of daily life. "Driven by faith, lakhs of devotees, braving in clemencies of weather, gather here to carry Ganga jal in kanwars on their shoulders," says Misrapuri.

Not only the number of kanwarias has swelled up, but with the changing time the entire profile of the kanwar is also changing. Besides the rural folk, now the urban gentry, including women and children, are joining the Kanwar Yatra. Now kanwarias carry colorful mobiles, digital cameras and many of them, in order avoid the rigours of the journey on foot, have started the practice of dak kanwar, that is, the carrying of kanwars on motorbikes, tempos, trucks and cars. Among these kanwarias there are many whose wishes have been granted by the Lord. Though most of these kanwarias are pious souls, some merrymakers and hooligans have also started joining the Yatra during recent years. The Kanwar Yatra has now become a queer amalgam of faith, piety, excitement and merry making.

The administration has geared up in a big way to face the challenge of the Kanwar Mela. The top police and civil officials of the state have held many rounds of consultations with their counterparts of the neighbouring states of U.P., Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himchal Pradesh and Rajasthan through which the Yatra passes. S.S.P. Haridwar, Sanjay Gunjiyal says that the past experience has shown that the dak kanwarias are the main source of nuisance. "It has been decided that this year the dak kanwarias will not be allowed to fit high sound DJs, music systems, and loud speakers in their jeeps, trucks and tempos, nor will they be allowed to carry hockey sticks, baseball sticks, bats, lathies etc. in their vehicles," says the S.S.P. In order to involve the local public in the smooth holding of the mela, the administration has held many intertactive meetings with the social organizations, including Ganga Sabha, Akhara Parishad, Vyapar Mandal and the hotels and the dharmshalas associations. At the request of the administration, the religious gurus, such as Baba Ram Dev and Muni Chiadanand Mahraj, have put up hoardings on the routes, urging the kanwarias to shun all sorts of violence and maintain the dignity of the yatra.

In view of the increasing threat to the religious gatherings by the terrorist outfits, highly elaborate security arrangements, including deployment of huge police force, P.A.C., Rapid Action Force, bomb disposal squads, divers and fire fighting measures, have been put in place by the administration. C.C.T.V. cameras have also been installed at sensitive points. Policemen in the garb of kanwarias have also been posted to keep a tab on the anti - social elements. "Our main objective is to ensure smooth and hassle free Kanwar Mela, with maximum facilities to the kanwarias and the minimum inconvenience to the locals," says the district magistrate, R. Meenakshi Sundram.