Haryana violence: An age-old yatra exemplifying harmony

The 84 Kos Parikrama has continued peacefully, even as tensions in the district rose as another yatra led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad devolved into violence

Every year during Shravan, the fifth month of the Hindu calendar, thousands of devotees flock to south Haryana’s Mewat region to make a pilgrimage various ancient temples.

Starting from Mathura, pilgrims travel through Nuh and Palwal villages in Mewat. (ANI)

Brij Chaurasi Kos Parikrama, also known as the “84 Kos Yatra”, entails traversing an area of approximately 250 kilometres (84 kos) in the Braj region, with parts falling in Mewat. Starting from Mathura, pilgrims travel through Nuh and Palwal villages in Mewat.

Beginning with the start of the month of Shravan on July 4 in north India, devotees passing through the area were greeted by members of the Muslim community.

The yatra has continued peacefully, even as tensions in the district rose as another yatra led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad devolved into violence.

The Meos or Mewati (as the community calls itself) live in a once-connected belt of eastern Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. According to the 2011 Census, the Nuh district had a population of approximately 1.09 million, the majority of whom were Meo-Muslims. Muslims make up roughly 80% of the district’s current population.

On Monday, Hindu and Muslim groups clashed in Nuh during the Bajrang Dal and VHP’s Brij Mandal Yatra, killing four people, two of whom were Home Guards. VHP launched the Brij Mandal Yatra in 2021 to raise awareness about temples in the region and foster a sense of community among Hindus.

According to VHP members, there are two-three temples here with a connection to the Pandavas, and the yatra was started in Mewat to celebrate the community’s temples.

The Brij Mandal yatra is a one-day yatra that begins at Nalhar Shiv temple on a Monday during Shravan and ends at Mata ka mandir in Singar and Jhir temple in Ferozpur Jhirka. Even as VHP’s yatra became engulfed in violence earlier this week, Brij Chaurasi Kos Parikrama has been taking place peacefully in the Mewat region for decades.

The yatra began on July 4 and will last until August 16 this year. During the yatra, members of the community set up food and water kiosks and open their homes to pilgrims for overnight stays. Locals from both communities say the tradition has continued peacefully for many decades.

Kishor Patel, who is from Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar, arrived in Nuh on Thursday with his nine family members to begin the “84 kos yatra.”

He began his journey from Mathura on July 30 and arrived in Neemka, from where he will travel to other parts of Nuh.

“The yatra is held every year. The yatra, however, falls in the Purushottam month every three years when Shravan is two months long. There is special significance during this period, and many more people participate in the yatra,” Patel said.

The 45-year-old will be stopping in various villages and praying at temples along the way. He will re-enter Uttar Pradesh after covering 40 km. Patel said that it was his first visit to Mewat and that the locals had been friendly.

“The Muslim community has organised a lunch (bhai log bhandara chala rahe hain). They have been extremely welcoming, and we have had no problems here. Our brothers have also made housing arrangements. They are adamant that we remain with them. They have opened their homes and hearts to us,” said Patel, who had been invited by Maqsood Khan, a Neemka resident.

Khan, 45, has spent the past 15 years performing “khidmat” for yatra pilgrims. During the yatra, he hosts anywhere from 40 to 60 pilgrims at his home. “Although we participate in ‘khidmat (service)’ during Brij Chaurasi Kos Parikrama every year, the number of pilgrims is much higher this year because it is the third year. Just like jamatis visit the area, our brothers from the Hindu community also visit every year. Such exchanges are a part of Meo life,” said Khan.

He added that most people in the villages of Neemka, Son, and Bicchor were used to offering their services during the yatra.

“Everyone welcomes devotees into their homes. It is a shared community activity, from the village pradhan to everyone else. Aside from khidmat, we must consider other factors. We vacate the houses for the pilgrims and make certain that they are not in any way harmed. We keep vigil until 2-3am,” said Khan.

Another Neemka resident, Talim Hussain, is hosting hundreds of pilgrims in his home.

“I opened my home for khidmat for the first time this year, but others in Mewat have done so for years. Every year for the past month, families have stopped at our house for overnight stay and we do the best to facilitate their stay,” said Hussain, a 33-year-old advocate.

According to Dhani Ram Mangla, a Punhana resident, the Brij Chaurasi Kos Parikrama enters Mewat from Bichhor village in Nuh. According to him, the word Bichhor derives from ‘Brij ka chhor (edge of Brij)’.