Kanwar pilgrimage popular with people of all age groups

Sandeep Rawat

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Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 7

Usually youths are seen on the Kanwar pilgrimage in Shravan month but in the past few years Kanwariyas belonging to all age groups have been seen coming to Haridwar to fetch Ganga jal for offering at Shivalingams on Shivratri.

As it involves walking for 50 km to 400 km, youths and healthy people mainly undertake the Kanwar yatra though old people and teenagers also come on the pilgrimage to please Lord Shiva.

According to teerth purohits and mela police, an increasing number of children Kanwariyas had been noticed in the past few years. Though the number of Dak Kanwariyas (who arrive on vehicles) is increasing, most of the pilgrims still prefer to walk to fetch the Ganga jal from Brahma Kund in Haridwar and the Neel Kant temple in Pauri Garhwal.

Dev Kali (75), a resident of Meerut, is accompanied by her son, daughter-in-law, and four children aged between 3 and 9 years. Wearing saffron clothes, the family members drew attention on the Kanwar route, with people eagerly comparing Dev Kali with her younger generation.

“The Kanwar pilgrimage is widely undertaken in our region and people come here to fetch Ganga jal. It is devotion that matters and except old age I don’t feel any major difficulty in completing the pilgrimage on foot. Though it will take more than four days to reach Meerut, Lord Shiva’s blessing and mutual love that exists in our family will ensure it is completed successfully so that we could offer Ganga jal at Shivalingam on Shivratri,” said Dev Kali. Kamla Prasad Nautiyal said as the Kanwar pilgrimage promises immense spiritual blessings for the devotees, people bring children too so that they could get acquainted with the age old Kanwar tradition at an early age.

Similary, a lot of Kanwariyas in the age group of 10 to 15 years from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi were happy to walk with their parents, elder brothers, relatives and neighbours on the National Highway-58.

Raju (12) said as it was a tradition in his family and in their village that people go on the Kanwar pilgrimage to fetch holy Ganga jal for offering it at Lord Shiva temples, he too got fascinated.

Kanwar mela force Circle Officer Chandra Mohan Singh said in fact young and old Kanwariyas motivated police personnel to perform their duty better.