Kanwar Yatra 2021: Uttar Pradesh Gives Approval For Annual Pilgrimage Amid Pandemic, Detailed Guidelines Soon

State officials have been instructed by the chief minister to coordinate with neighbouring Bihar and Uttarakhand besides ensuring that Covid-19 guidelines are followed during the yatra.

Lucknow: Just two months after of conclusion of the Kumbh Mela before the second wave of Covid-19 swept the country, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has given his approval to conduct annual Kanwar Yatra from July 25 and instructed officials to issue guidelines in this regard.

According to the sources of Hindustan Times, there will be major hurdles such as arranging Ganga water for the devotees with Uttarakhand blocking access to Haridwar.

Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary Navneet Sehgal has informed detailed guidelines on the yatra will be issued soon. Officials have been instructed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to coordinate with neighbouring Bihar and Uttarakhand besides ensuring that Covid guidelines are followed during the yatra.

"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked to coordinate with neighbouring Bihar and Uttarakhand and ensure Covid guidelines are following during the yatra," Sehgal told news agency PTI.

Sehgal said that detailed guidelines regarding the Yatra will be issued soon and a meeting of senior officials will be held to discuss the matter.

While officials are still trying to figure out how to coordinate with the Uttarakhand authorities after the state has cancelled the Yatra due to the pandemic. Devotees have been clearly told not to visit Haridwar for collecting Ganga water.

 There are various options being considered to make the visit successful for devotees, and one of the options is to provide water from Haridwar through tankers to the devotees in UP; while another way being considered in to persuade the devotees to collect Ganga water by staying within UP.

In the annual pilgrimage or Kanwar Yatra, devotees of Lord Shiva collect water from River Ganga (usually at Haridwar in Uttarakhand) to offer the same at Shiva temples in their respective places.

Devotees who are known as kanwariyas travel from far-off places on foot covering hundreds of kilometres on foot and visit places along the Ganga. Apart from Haridwar kanwariyas also visit Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar.

In 2020, the pilgrimage was cancelled in Uttar Pradesh due to the pandemic restrictions.