Uttarakhand Govt. cancels Kanwar Yatra – Burning Issues

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Kanwar yatra cancelled by uttarkhand

mid threat of third wave of Covid-19, the Uttarakhand government has cancelled the Kanwar Yatra this year while Uttar Pradesh has decided to resume the annual ritual with Covid restrictions in place.
The Uttarakhand government decision was taken after a high-level meeting between Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and top officials of the state government. The Indian Medical Association yesterday had requested CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to cancel the Kanwar Yatra in view of Covid-19.
The yatra was scrapped last year because of the pandemic and lockdown.

Meanwhile UP has decided to continue with the Yatra, which sees a heavy movement of devotees, with Covid protocols.
The state government has announced a range of provisions including limiting the number of devotees and it is mulling to enforce mandatory RT-PCR test.

In order to ensure the ban on pilgrimage, heavy security forces will be deployed at Uttarakhand border to stop the Kanwar Yatra. Holy Ganga water will be transported through tanker to other states as per their demands.
The Kanwar Yatra doesn’t necessarily requires a devotee to go to Haridwar or Gomukh. The Gangajal can be fetched from other locations. It is being considered that a big chunk of devotees especially in central UP and East UP will move towards Prayagraj or Varanasi.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over its decision to allow the Kanwar Yatra from next week despite the threat of a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The court, which took up the matter suo motu, said citizens were “perplexed” by the the yatra being permitted at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and medical experts have warned against large gatherings, and urged people to follow social distancing and other Covid protocols.
The Kānvar is an annual pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva, known as Kānvariasor “Bhole” to pilgrimage places of Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch holy waters of Ganges River.
Millions of participants gather sacred water from the Ganga and carry it across hundreds of miles to dispense as offerings in their village or city Śiva temples,

Kanwar yatra is related to the churning of the ocean of milk in the Hindu Puranas. When the poison came out before Amrita and the world started burning from its heat then lord Shiva accepted to inhale poison.
But, after inhaling it he started suffering from negative energy of poison. Shiva’s devout follower Ravana did meditation.
He brought holy water of Ganga by using kanwar and poured it on Shiva’s temple in Puramahadev. Thus releasing Shiva from the negative energy of the poison.