Kanwar Yatras swell in numbers amid religious fervour & Hindutva push
India’s largest annual devotional trek has evolved into more than just a religious pilgrimage.
Lucknow: Kanwar Yatra, the ancient arduous religious trek to offer Gangajal to Lord Shiva, used to be a non-descript, small affair till the beginning of the 1990s. Thirty-odd years on, there is a sea change--the number of pilgrims is swelling by the year. For instance, the number of kanwariyas entering Meerut district alone has increased by 250% in just one decade, says data. Needless to state, apart from devotion, it is also the increasing assertion of Hindutva politics that draws more and more people to the annual pilgrimage.
So, the once bustling roads now serve as sacred pathways for kanwariyas, with traffic diversions and school closures becoming routine. The UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is restricting its operations on many highways where two of the lanes have been dedicated to devotees and common commuters also often avoid travelling on such sacred pathways lest they should get stuck in the Kanwar Yatra processions.
Zealous young boys in villages are forming groups and mobilising others for Kanwar Yatras. The air hums with the energy of thousands of devotees, their journey soundtracked by blaring devotional songs from DJ-laden trucks, while makeshift pandals along the way offer pure food and respite. The rhythmic chants of “Bam Bam Bhole” rend the atmosphere.
They are common sights in cities and even in villages across Uttar Pradesh these days, posing significant administrative and logistical challenges to authorities.
As the monsoon rain drenches the streets of Uttar Pradesh, the cities transform into vibrant corridors of devotion, echoing with the sounds of the Kanwar Yatra.
During the Hindu month of Sawan, a large number of devotees, mainly young men, undertake a demanding pilgrimage, transporting holy Ganga water from sacred sites to a major Shiva temple or local shrine in their villages and towns. Each year, from July to August, millions of these devotees walk barefoot, carrying the Ganga water in containers slung over their shoulders with a support called a ‘kanwar’.
Primarily practised in the Gangetic plains, the festival of Kanwar Yatra is age-old and celebrated by millions of people across different parts of north, central and eastern India.
INCREASING INTENSITY AND SCALE OF SOCIETAL PARTICIPATION
The intensity and scale of the yatra have swelled over the years, turning the once-quiet processions into sprawling, energetic events that bring cities to a near standstill for two months in the state. Kanwar Yatras, within UP, are even bigger events in western UP due to the region’s geographical proximity to important pilgrimage destinations like Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand where kanwariyas collect holy water from the Ganga river.
The official data pertaining to just Meerut district in western UP shows the sheer scale and magnitude that the Kanwar Yatra event has achieved over the years. It is revealed the number of kanwariyas entering the Meerut district has increased by 250% in just one decade. Meerut is one of the key cities on the pilgrimage journey for millions of devotees travelling or walking across western Uttar Pradesh from the holy sites in Uttarakhand.
“As per our records, an estimated 6-8 lakh kannwariyas, including locals, entered Meerut district in 2014. And the number rose to an estimated 23-26 lakh in 2023,” said Selva Kumari J, divisional commissioner of Meerut division, adding, “The counting for the current year is in progress.”
A 2006 IAS officer, she has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth passage of Kanwar Yatras in her division comprising Meerut, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Baghpat.
The same trend is witnessed in Varanasi in eastern UP. The number of kanwariyas visiting the holy city in Shravan every year has continuously increased. On an average, over 20 lakh kanwariyas visited Varanasi and offered prayers to Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 2016.
The number icnreased to 25 lakh in 2017 and remained almost same in 2018. In 2019, around 30 lakh kanwariyas visited Varanasi. And the trend continued in 2023 when Shrawan having eight Mondays, over 50 lakh kanwariyas turned up here and offered prayers to Baba Kashi Vishwanath.
Varanasi mayor Ashok Tiwari said, “ Lakhs of kanwariays visit Varanasi and offer prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Dham every year in the month of Shrawan. Their number is increasing every year. Special cleanliness drive is carried out along the kanwariya route by Varanasi Nagar Nigam.”
District magistrate S Rajalingam said that several kanwariya camps had been set up and proper cleanliness was being ensured on kanwar yatra route and in camps.
KANWAR YATRAS GAINED MOMENTUM
WITH RAM TEMPLE MOVEMENT
Rajesh Mishra, a social scientist who retired as a professor from the Lucknow University, said that especially over the last few years, the scale of Kanwar Yatra had reached new heights in terms of intensity, societal participation and state support.
“I come from Meerut. I vividly remember till the beginning of the 1990s, the Kanwar Yatras were a small-scale local affair there. But the event started gaining popularity with rise of Hindutva and the Ram Temple movement in the state,” he said.
“The Kanwar Yatra gained massive popularity in UP after the BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath came to power in the state in 2017 and started giving special state patronage to the religious trek ,” he pointed out.
Kanwar Yatra is driven primarily by devotion to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. Devotees undertake arduous pilgrimage to seek blessings, fulfill vows and express their devotion. The Yatra reflects a deep-seated faith and spiritual dedication among participants.
“As a Shiva ‘bhakta’ (devotee), participating in Kanwar Yatra gives me an immense pleasure and a sense of fulfilment in my faith in God,” said Raghuraj Singh, a 35-year old man coming from a poor Scheduled Caste (SC) family at Gangiri town in Aligarh.
SOCIO-ECOMOMIC-RELIGIOUS MOBILISATION
While Mishra did not rule out religiosity as a factor for the increasing popularity of Kanwar Yatra festival and a growing societal participation in it, he said there was more to it.
“The Kanwar Yatras now are also a tool of socio-religious-economic mobilisation, largely of lower middle castes and classes,” he opined. He said the participation of youths in Kanwar Yatras was increasing also because of the fact that many unemployed and “lumpen proletariats” saw Kanwat Yatra processions as a medium of fun, feast and enjoyment.
The Kanwar Yatra has, in fact, evolved into more than just a religious pilgrimage. While devotion to Lord Shiva remains the core motivation, the growing participation, especially among the youth, points to a complex blend of faith, socio-economic dynamics and the search for identity and community.
“The Kanwar Yatra is a sacred journey filled with devotion, faith, discipline and hard work. However, the way it is conducted nowadays, with loud DJ music and disruptive behavior, doesn’t seem to reflect the true spirit of Lord Shiva’s devotees,” said Neelima Chola Maheshwari, a resident of Awas Vikas Colony in Kasganj. “I am a daily witness to all this,” she added.
She said the practice of organising religious processions and feasts was increasing these days but organizers, she suggested, must at least ensure that the general public was not inconvenienced and that no litter was spread.