The story so far: This year’s annual Kanwar Yatra has grabbed the headlines for several controversies. Be it the now-stayed government order to display owners names on the nameplates of eateries, the ban on sale of non-vegetarian food or attempts to cover up mosques and mazars enroute in Haridwar, these actions have brought into sharp focus various socio-political issues surrounding the century-old ‘spiritual pilgrimage.’
Since being elected Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in 2017, Yogi Adityanath has increased the State government’s involvement in the Kanwar Yatra. While it began with showering petals on ‘Kanwariyas’ (people undertaking the yatra) via helicopters, the measures, in 2024, have increased to ordering eateries along the Kanwar yatra route to display the names of their owners.
The Uttar Pradesh government issued an order for shop keepers on Kanwar yatra route to display the owners’ name on their nameplates
The order was initially imposed only in Muzaffarnagar by the district police on July 18 and later modified as a request to voluntarily display names of shopkeepers to ‘prevent confusion among kanwariyas.’ However, several districts across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand issued similar orders. These were met with public outrage and backlash from Opposition parties.
With several petitions challenging the legality of these orders, the Supreme Court stayed the orders issued by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments. In fact, the stay has now been extended till August 5. The entire yatra will take place from July 22 to August 19 – i.e. end of Shravan, in most parts of UP. (Some regions may observe different dates.)
Let’s take a look at the significance of Kanwar yatra, its steady gain in popularity and the controversies in recent years.
Why is Kanwar yatra observed?
As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva consumed the poison— ‘Halahala’ — which emerged during the churning of the ocean by the Devas and the asuras, turning his throat blue and earning him the moniker ‘Neelkanth.’ To cool Lord Shiva’s burning throat, the legend says, the Devas and asuras poured Ganga water on him. To commemorate this event, Lord Parashuram – the sixth Avatar (manifestation) of Lord Vishnu, is believed to have undertaken the first Kanwar yatra, carrying Ganga water in containers suspended on either side of a pole to the Bholenath temple in Haridwar.
For over a century, during the month of Shravan (mid-July to August), Shiva devotees across India have travelled to collect holy Ganga water from Haridwar, Gangotri or Gaumukh in Uttarakhand and travel back to their respective homes to offer the water at their local Shiva temples or particularly famous temples. Some of the most traversed routes by Kanwariyas are Haridwar to Mahadev temple in Rishikesh or Pura Mahadeva Temple in Baghpat, Gangotri to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi or Baidyanath temple in Deogarh, Sultanganj to Baidyanath temple.
Who undertakes the Kanwar Yatra?
In the initial days, the journey was undertaken only by religious and spiritual leaders (called as kanwariyas) who walked barefoot to collect Ganga water from the above-mentioned sources. Saffron-clad old men were seen walking along the main highways of Moradabad, Roorkee, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Allahabd (Prayagraj), Varanasi, and Haridwar on foot carrying ‘kanwars,’ chanting ‘Bum Bole’, and invoking Lord Shiva.
Lord Shiva devotees or ‘Kanwariyas’ carrying holy water from the Ganga river during their pilgrimage in the month of ‘Shravan’, in New Delhi, Friday, July 7, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
Manvender Vashist Lav
As per custom, the pitchers tied to the kanwar are not allowed to touch the ground. Liberal use of cannabis is allowed for the travellers – sometimes to numb the pain of an arduous journey, sometimes for recreation. Currently, young men between ages 15 and 35 comprise the majority of the kanwariyas. Women kanwariyas comprise a very small percentage of the travellers due to poor sanitation conditions and safety concerns on roads.
How has the kanwar yatra tranformed?
1990-2014: Rising Hindutva
The Kanwar yatra dates back to pre-independence era and has been a long-cherished ritual by devout Hindus. Hindu outfits Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) deny any direct involvement in the kanwar yatra. However, the journey itself gained higher popularity in the late 1980s as the two organisations spearheaded the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. While initially, kanwariyas undertaking the yatra hailed from districts near the Ganga or a famous Shiva temple, later, young men (between ages 15-45) from places in Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh began arriving to collect Ganga water in pitchers.
‘Kanwariyas‘ (Lord Shiva devotees) during ‘Kawad Yatra’ in the holy month of ‘Shravan’, near Charminar, in Hyderabad, Sunday, on August 4, 2024.
Targeted attacks on Muslims, which had soared post the demolition of the Babri Masjid, was witnessed in kanwar yatras too, as its popularity steadily grew. Reports of vandalism, hooliganism, and public misconduct with women and foreigners by the kanwariyas too increased. Kanwar sewa sanghs cropped up across the route to organise rest places, food, water, and toilet facilities for the kanwariyas.
2014-17: Rise of Hindu nationalism
The Kanwar yatra’s popularity has only soared further post the election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2014.In 2015, lakhs of kanwariyas descended along river Ganga’s banks – saffron-clad young men brandishing saffron flags, riding bikes, and travelling in groups with disc jockeys (DJs) playing music.
‘Kanwariyas’ (Lord Shiva devotees) during ‘Kanwar Yatra’ in the holy month of ‘Shravan’, in New Delhi, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Manvender Vashist Lav
In a research paper titled ‘The Rural-Urban Intersection of Sacred Beliefs and Secular Praxis in India’, author Rachna Mehra argues that the yatra has gained popularity among impoverished working-class youth to overcome existential crisis like unemployment, inflation, money troubles, and health issues. She notes the rise in skirmishes between the local police and kanwars since late 2010, as the yatra gained popularity.
Several policemen have reportedly turned a blind-eye to the vandalism and disorder created by the kanwariyas, as challenging them during the festival sparked unwanted tensions. “A personal journey of faith has become a voyage to Hindu nationalism,” argues Ms. Mehra. To ease communal tensions in UP, home to India’s largest Muslim population, the ruling Samajwadi Party had banned DJs in various districts in the western region of the state. The largest number of skirmishes between kanwariyas and the public were reported here.
2017 onwards: Rise in polarisation during the Yogi era
After winning the 2017 Uttar Pradesh State election, the BJP chose Yogi Adityanath, a monk heading the Gorakhnath temple, as its Chief ministerial pick. Upon taking the reins of the State, Yogi Adityanath lifted the ban on DJs but ordered the kanwariyas to only play bhajans and film songs which were neither vulgar nor provocative. He also ordered the pruning of fig trees along the yatra’s route, as those trees were considered “inauspicious” by the devotees.
A helicopter showers flower petals on Kanwariyas who came to Har Ki Pauri Ghat to collect holy water from the Ganga river during ‘Kanwar Yatra’ in the holy month of Shravan, in Haridwar, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
In 2018, the BJP government pubicized the yatra via media and even showered flower petals via helicopters on the kanwariyas. Eateries along the route were banned from serving non-vegetarian food during the month the yatra was held, so as to not hurt devotees’ sentiments. Moreover, police officials were ordered to provide security to the travellers and conduct cleanliness drives along the route.
The 200-kilometre long route along national highways has a separate segregated pathway for the travellers, causing snarls in traffic. Temporary rest stops and arrangements for ovenight stay have also been set up along the roads, further causing congestion on main roads. Loud music accompanied by disco lights played by DJs for the kanwariyas’ entertainment has attracted noise complaints from shopkeepers and residents alike.
A car is vandalised after a violent clash erupted between two groups of Kanwariyas (Shiva devotees) over the issue of performing ‘Jalabhishek’, in Gurugram’s Sector 12 on Friday. Six persons were injured in the clash.
Reports of vandalism have been on the rise. Incidents of cars which allegedly touch the ‘kanwars’ — rendering them impure — being torched by kanwariyas have been reported every year since 2018. Kanwariyas have also vandalised shops (majorly owned by Muslims) under the suspicion of them “serving non-veg food.” To reign in the rampant vandalism, the Supreme Court directed State governments to take strict action against the kanwariyas in 2018. However, incidents continue till date.
In 2019, Mr. Adityanath made kanwar yatra a poll plank for the Lok Sabha campaign. He reportedly said, “When your votes went to the wrong hands, Muzaffarnagar was under curfew for months, but now it is known for Kanwar Yatra.”
Post-polls, preparation and security arrangements for the Kanwar Yatra became more detailed — schools in the areas where heavy inflow of kanwariyas were expected were shut and areas cordoned off. In 2019, official reports state that nearly 3.5 crore kanwariyas visited Haridwar, while over 2-3 crore visited piligrimage spots in Western UP.
In 2021, when most congregations were banned due to COVID-19, Yogi Adityanath insisted that the yatra commence from July 25. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami, who had banned the yatra, too, later rescinded his order.
‘Kanwariyas’ or Lord Shiva devotees gather at Har ki Pauri to collect holy water of the Ganga river during ‘Kanwar Yatra’ in the holy month of ‘Shravan’ on the occasion of ‘Sawan Shivratri’, in Haridwar, July 15, 2023.
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“In Western UP, where Muslims dominate, our government has allowed empowered Hindus to celebrate religious events at a large scale,” said former BJP MLA Surendra Nath Singh in an interview, adding, “Modi ji and Yogi ji have given the colour of Hindutva to India.”
In 2022, Indian Army jawan Kartik Kumar Baliyan was killed in a clash between two groups of kanwariyas in Uttarakhand’s Manglaur. Mr. Baliyan, who was on leave, was on a visit to Haridwar as a kanwariya himself. The jawan was beaten to death after his group’s kanwar had allegedly overtaken Haryana’s kanwariyas in Roorkee.
A car is vandalised after a violent clash erupted between two groups of ‘Kanwariya’ (Shiva devotees) over the issue of performing ‘Jalabhishek’, in Gurugram’s Sector 12 on Friday. Six persons were injured in the clash.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
This year, on July 22, kanwariyas vandalised a car and thrashed its occupants in Muzaffarnagar, claiming that it had brushed against them on the Haridwar-Delhi national highway. A day later, kanwariyas assaulted staff at a petrol pump in the same district after one of the travellers was allegedly stopped from smoking a cigarette. These incidents occurred after Muzaffarnagar police requested eatery owners to ‘voluntarily’ display names of their owners on nameplates.
After passing the controversial order, the Yogi Adityanath government defended it in the Supreme Court claiming that it was issued to ensure transparency and informed choice of the consumer/kanwariya regarding the food they eat during the period of the yatra, keeping in mind their religious sentiments so that they don’t, even accidentally, fall foul of their beliefs. It further claimed that exhibiting the name of owners was in line with a Central law. In response, the Supreme Court stayed the orders, stating that such directives must be enforced everywhere and not only in certain areas.
Given that by-elections in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled around the corner, the kanwar yatra is likely to continue being a polarising issue and a poll plank.
