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Kanwar Yatra felt more like siege than pilgrimage, say South Delhi residents
What was meant to be a religious procession, quickly descended into lawlessness, marked by loud music, traffic chaos, reckless driving, and open hooliganism.
For residents across South Delhi, Kanwar Yatra felt less like a pilgrimage and more like a siege the past week. As the yatra peaked before culminating on Shivratri on Wednesday, neighbourhoods from Saket and Chhatarpur to Malviya Nagar, Greater Kailash, CR Park, Vasant Vihar, Ashram, and Mehrauli were brought to a standstill by kanwariyas who turned roads into open-air party zones.
What was meant to be a religious procession, residents say, quickly descended into lawlessness, marked by loud music, traffic chaos, reckless driving, and open hooliganism. “This was not devotion. This was anarchy on two-wheelers. Young men were racing down narrow lanes, hitting cars with sticks, screaming, blocking intersections, but no one from the police even showed up,” said Anjali Raina, a resident of Kalkaji.
By Monday night and through Tuesday, traffic came to a halt on multiple arterial roads as kanwariyas on motorcycles, tractors, and on foot took over both lanes. Trucks carrying massive DJ setups parked in the middle of roads while groups of devotees danced, played drums, and feasted, leaving behind heaps of waste.
“It was terrifying. A group of them started dancing, with blaring music in the middle of the road, blocking the way for us to cross. I had my children with me in the back seat. They treated the road like their private stage and dared anyone to object,” said Ashish Gupta from Khirki Extension.
In parts of Saket and near Chhatarpur temple, residents said kanwariyas weaved dangerously through traffic, jumping from one bike to another, and threatening anyone who came in their way. Despite repeated complaints, enforcement remained absent or minimal. Loud music blared all night from over 25 kanwar camps in South Delhi, particularly in Sangam Vihar, Devli, and Neb Sarai, among a few other areas, violating noise regulations with impunity.
Police acknowledged the challenges in enforcement, citing the religious nature of the event. “We use electronic monitoring and issue e-challans wherever possible,” an officer said. “But large-scale physical intervention is avoided to prevent backlash.”
With Shivratri rituals concluding on Wednesday evening, the roads are expected to clear. Residents say the week has left them angry, exhausted, and disturbed by the scale of disruption allowed in the name of faith.
