Uttarakhand government cancels Kanwar Yatra in view of Covid-19 pandemic

Mangalore Today News Network

Dehradun, Jul 13, 2021: The Uttarakhand government has decided to cancel the Kanwar Yatra for the second year in a row in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. A final decision in this regard was taken on Tuesday during a meeting at the State Secretariat in Dehradun.

 

A two-week long annual pilgrimage for devotees of Lord Shiva, the Kanwar Yatra is due to begin on July 25 of this year. As part of the pilgrimage, devotees travel to Haridwar in Uttarakhand and other parts of the country to fetch holy water from the river Ganga.

Held at the beginning of the month of Shravan as per the Hindu calendar, the pilgrimage goes on till the first week of August.

During the meeting on Tuesday, officials briefed Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami on the possibility of a third wave and the virulence of the Delta Plus variant. The state government also sought the opinion of experts before taking a call over this year’s Kanwar Yatra.

Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Dr SS Sandhu, Additional Chief Secretary Anandvardhan and Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar were among senior officials who were part of the discussion.

"Kanwar is part of the Sanatan culture but saving lives is paramount. The government’s focus is to ensure that Covid does not spread," Chief Minister Dhami said while addressing BJP workers on Tuesday.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat had adjourned the Kanwar Yatra in June of this year. Rawat was soon replaced by Pushkar Singh Dhami. CM Dhami had told the media earlier that a final decision on the Kanwar Yatra would be taken after a discussion in this regard with other state governments.

The Indian Medical Association had also written to CM Dhami asking him not to allow the Kanwar Yatra in light of the threat of a third wave of Covid-19 infections looming large.

Traders from Haridwar had been demanding resumption of the Kanwar Yatra, claiming that cancellation of the pilgrimage owing to the lockdown last year led to severe losses. Such traders, whose livelihood depends almost entirely on the annual pilgrimages like the Kanwar Yatra, had been seeking an assurance from the Uttarakhand government that the pilgrimage would be held this year unlike in 2020.

Kanwar Yatra to continue in UP

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to go ahead with the Kanwar Yatra despite the threat of Covid-19.

On Tuesday, CM Yogi Adityanath directed his ’Team 9’ to ensure adherence to Covid norms during the Kanwar Yatra. The pilgrimage must be allowed with respect to expert estimates about the spread of Covid-19, he added.

Negative RT-PCR reports will be sought from devotees who enter Uttar Pradesh from other states to take part in the Kanwar Yatra, said CM Adityanath.

Courtesy:India Today