Kanwar Yatra 2022 : After witnessing a massive Char Dham turnup of pilgrims, the Uttarakhand government is ready for the Kanwar yatra as well. Kanwar yatra will be held after a gap of 2 years due to the pandemic, and it is already witnessing pilgrims rush into the state. The pilgrims will fetch the holy water of the river Ganges and carry it with them to pour into Shiv Lingams of their respective areas.
About Kanwar yatra
The Kanwar yatra is a pilgrimage of the devotees of Lord Shiva and it takes place every year during the monsoon season. The pilgrims travel to places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri to fetch the water from the holy Ganges. Many devotees even walk their way to these places to fetch the water. The yatra lasts for 2 to 3 weeks. For devotees, this period is no less than a festival that they celebrate with fervor.
Kanwar Yatra 2022 starting and endind dates
Kanwar yatra 2022, is set to commence next month. The Kanwar monsoon fair is scheduled from July 14 to July 26 in Haridwar. The Kanwar pilgrims fondly called the ‘Kanwariyas’, arrive in Haridwar from neighboring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Most of the Kanwariyas walk their way to Haridwar with utter pomp and zeal.
As per the estimation of data by officials, around 30 million Kanwariyas will arrive in Haridwar during the Kanwar fair. District Magistrate of Haridwar, Vinay Shankar Pandey, has said that meetings with the concerned departments, those are responsible for the conduction of the Kanwar yatra, have already been done and security arrangements are being done. Every possible arrangement for smooth conduction of the yatra has been chalked out.
Kanwar Yatra 2022 routes
Kanwariyas arrive in Uttarakhand from a few points like Lasksar, Shyampur, Mandawar-Bhagwanpur, Kali Nadi, Narain, and Roorkee. Approximately 7000 security personnel will be deployed during the Kanwar fair to ensure no untoward incident occur. Also, the Kanwar Mela zones have been divided into super zones, zones, and sectors.
Types of Kanwar yatra
Many years ago, Kanwar yatra used to be done on foot. But now things have changed and evolved. There are three types of Kanwar yatra:
- Khadi Kanwar – In this type of yatra, the Kanwariyas have to carry the Kanwar (the bamboo structure that is carried) on their shoulders and have to traverse the entire journey on foot. This is the toughest Kanwar yatra.
- Kanwar procession – In this type of yatra, the Kanwariyas move in a celebratory procession and complete their journey on either jeep, truck, or any other vehicle. The Kanwariyas dance, sing and enjoy their whole journey.
- Daak Kanwar yatra – This type is similar to the Kanwar procession. The only difference is that when the temple is about 24 to 36 hours away, the Kanwariyas run at their full speed to offer the water that they fetched from the Ganges.
