Kanwar Yatra that takes place in the holy month of Shravan kicked off today after a gap of almost two years due to Covid-19 amid tight security and traffic arrangements. The administration in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh have made elaborate security arrangements to facilitate the annual pilgrimage dedicated to Lord Shiva this year. A large number of Lord Shiva devotees called kanwariyas travel hundreds of kilometers on foot from various stated to collect Ganga water from Haridwar and perform Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva on the day of Trayodashi in the Shivalayas of their respective areas.
Kanwar Yatra is being held after two years due to Covid-19 pandemic. This time close to 4 crore Kanwariyas are expected to take the yatra, Haridwar District Magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey told PTI.
The Delhi Police said the Kanwariyas are expected to pass through Delhi on foot from July 14 onwards to their destinations and their movements would increase in subsequent days after July 21.
The Delhi administration is also cautious about the Kanwar Yatra and more than 2,000 Delhi Traffic Police personnel will be deployed for the smooth movement of Kanwar pilgrims and vehicles, according to the news agency.
The Kanwariyas will enter East District from Maharajpur and Gazipur check post side and will leave Delhi for their respective destinations. East Delhi will be a transit point on route for kanwariyas hailing from different states like Haryana, Rajasthan and others.
Check specified routes for devotees carrying 'kanwars' in Delhi
- Apsara Border, Shahdara Flyover, Seelampur 'T'-Point, ISBT Flyover, Boulevard Road, Rani Jhansi Road, Faiz Road, Upper Ridge Road, Dhaula Kuan, NH-8 and exit from Rajokri Border for Haryana.
- Bhopura Border, Wazirabad Road, Wazirabad Bridge, Outer Ring Road, Mukarba Chowk, NH-1 and exit from Singhu Border or Madhuban Chowk, Peeragarhi and exit from Tikri Border for Haryana
- Maharajpur Border, Road number 56, Ghazipur Border, NH24, Ring Road, Mathura Road and exit from Badarpur Border for Haryana.
Bhopura Border, Wazirabad Road, Loni Flyover, Gokulpuri 'T' Point, 66 Foota Road, Seelampur 'T'Point, NH 1 and further towards new ISBT Bridge.
The other routes are Kalindi Kunj, Mathura Road, Badarpur Border; Kalindi Kunj, Mathura Road, Modi Mill, Maa Anand Mai Marg, MB Road; Vande Matram Marg, Upper Ridge Road New Delhi; New Rohtak Road (from Kamal'T'Point to Tikri Border); and Najafgarh Road (from Zakhira to Najafgarh).
Apart from the above roads and intersections, Kanwarias movement is observed in smaller numbers in several locations all over Delhi.
Delhi Traffic Police personnel will be deployed on various routes in Shahdara districts bordering Uttar Pradesh to ensure minimum inconvenience to the Kanwar passengers. Apart from traffic personnel, security officers of Delhi Police and paramilitary forces will also be present in the eastern parts of the capital. According to the Delhi Police, so far 338 Kanwariya camps have been sanctioned for the convenience and accommodation of Kanwar pilgrims and these camps are being set up at various places in East Delhi.
For devotee or those looking for information related to traffic, that person may approach the Delhi Traffic Police Facebook page, Twitter handle@DelhiTrafficPolice, Whatsapp number 8750871493 and helpline number 1095/011-25844444.
The “Kanwar Patris” or the yatra tracks have been readied besides all other facilities meant for the convenience of Kanwariyas like toilets, drinking water and parking lots, he said.
In order to maintain communal harmony in sensitive areas during Kanwar Yatra, meetings with the members of Aman Committees, religious leaders and respectable of the area have also been conducted in both districts.
Meanwhile, Garhwal Range Inspector General of Police (DIG) V. Murugeshan said arrangements are made by division of the Mela area into 12 super zones, 32 zones and 120 sectors. He said that one 1,000 police personnel, five companies of central paramilitary forces, Anti-Terrorism Squad including Bomb and Swan Squads and Water Police are also being deployed in the area.
Murugeshan said for the convenience of Kanwariyas, arrangements have been made for registration. He said that the Kanwariyas should register on the portal before coming to Haridwar, although registration is not mandatory. He informed there will be a ban on meat and liquor shops on the Kanwar Yatra route.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has asked its departments to ensure that no illegal liquor or meat shops operate on the Kanwar Yatra route while drones will be used to monitor the law and order situation, officials said.
(With inputs from agencies)