Kanwar Yatra: Pilgrims’ progress ushers in profits
There are thousands of eateries, clothes sellers, fruit vendors, pitcher sellers, and other shopkeepers who eagerly await the Kanwar Yatra in the hope of earning more than they usually do.
The Kanwar Yatra is not merely a religious event but also ends up giving a boost to the economy of the region through which it passes as the pilgrims spend a good amount of money.
It’s expected that over three crore (30 million) Shiv devotees will take part in the yatra this year.
There are thousands of eateries, clothes sellers, fruit vendors, pitcher sellers, and other shopkeepers who eagerly await the Kanwar Yatra in the hope of earning more than they usually do.
Though there is no study about expenses incurred by kanwariyas but an interaction with them gives an estimate of expenses and the size of business during the yatra.
Young kanwariyas Harpal and Satyaveer of Bharatpur in Rajasthan said they had spent ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 on new clothes, slippers and pitchers to carry Gangajal, food and water bottles during the yatra.
Rajkali,55, of Muzaffarnagar said, “A kanwariya spends on average ₹3,000 to 4,000 on the yatra.”
These kanwarias take different routes to reach their destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
They cover several hundreds of kilometres during yatra and spend days at roadside camps, visit eateries and dhabas before concluding the yatra at their native place.
Rupam and his two friends from Alwar, Rajasthan, will fetch Ganga water from Hardwar and reach their native place on August 1.
Rupam said they have spent ₹18,000 so far on buying kanwar (pitchers hung from poles), clothes and food.
He said while they would prefer to eat at roadside camps established for kanwariyas that provide free food but still they need to spend on extra edibles and snacks.
Another pilgrim Nirdesh Saini, too, said a kanwariya spends an average of ₹3,000 to ₹4,000 on the yatra.
Sonu Pal, who runs a dhaba on National Highway 58, said eateries earn twice more during the yatra.
“We used to do business of ₹2 to 2.5 lakh a month on normal days. But heavy influx of kanwariyas gives us the opportunity to earn more during the yatra,” Sonu said.