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Record 48 million Kanwariyas visit Haridwar in 2026 Kanwar fair: Officials
As many as 6.36 million devotees arrived in Haridwar on Monday alone to collect holy Ganga water, which they carried back
An all-time record of 48 million Kanwariyas arrived in Haridwar during this year’s 14-day Shravan Kanwar pilgrimage, which began on July 30 and concluded on Tuesday, making it the biggest-ever Kanwar fair in the city, officials said on Tuesday.
“A record 4.8 crore Kanwariyas arrived in Haridwar from various parts of the country. Even on Tuesday afternoon, Kanwariyas were continuing to arrive, so the exact figure may be slightly higher by late evening,” senior superintendent of police Navneet Singh Bhullar, said.
Data compiled by the Kanwar Mela Cell showed that 45.2 million devotees participated in the pilgrimage in 2025, compared with 41.4 million in 2024 and 40.7 million in 2023.
The unprecedented footfall was accompanied by an exceptional surge on the final two days of the pilgrimage. As many as 6.36 million devotees arrived in Haridwar on Monday alone to collect holy Ganga water, which they carried back to their respective towns and villages for offering to Shiva lingams on Sawan Shivratri.
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The massive influx also presented a major challenge for the district administration and security agencies, which had to manage crowds running into several million devotees each day across Haridwar and surrounding areas.
Bhullar said the pilgrimage was conducted successfully with more than 6,000 Uttarakhand police personnel deployed along with personnel from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Provincial Armed Constabulary, Indian Reserve Battalion and the Anti-Terrorist Squad, among other units.
Following the successful conclusion of the Kanwar fair, Haridwar district magistrate Mayur Dixit and Bhullar performed rituals at the sanctum sanctorum of Brahmakund at Har-ki-Pauri on Tuesday along with members of the saint community. They collected holy Ganga water and subsequently offered it at the revered ancient Shri Daksheshwar Mahadev temple in Kankhal on the occasion of Sawan Shivratri.
Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (Sanyasi) president Mahant Ravindra Puri Maharaj, along with representatives of the Bairagi Akhadas, held separate felicitation programmes for officials associated with the Kanwar Mela administration on Tuesday.
“It is a record turnout of Kanwariyas. One can imagine the workload, management, infrastructure, resources, planning and execution required to manage nearly five crore Kanwariyas in just a span of 14 days. This Shravan Kanwar fair has shown the way for successfully hosting the Ardh Kumbh fair next year,” said Ganga Sabha president Nitin Gautam.
Officials said the record turnout has also provided the administration with valuable experience ahead of the Ardh Kumbh fair scheduled to be held in Haridwar next year.
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami in a post on X said: “Saluting the magnificent display of faith. Nearly 5 crore Shiva devotees visited Haridwar in Kanwar yatra this year. Heartfelt gratitude and greetings to all the Shiva devotees from across the country who participated in the successful and well-organised Kanwar Mela 2026. This year, Devbhoomi Uttarakhand witnessed a magnificent spectacle of faith, where a remarkable harmony of service, discipline, and orderliness complemented the devotion of millions of Shiva devotees. The arrival of such a vast number of pilgrims reflects their unwavering reverence for Lord Shiva and their trust in Uttarakhand’s traditions of service and hospitality. The contributions of the administration, police, health department, disaster management teams, sanitation workers, voluntary organisations, religious and social institutions, and local citizens in ensuring the safety and smooth conduct of this massive gathering were truly commendable. I pray to Mahadev that His blessings remain upon all Shiva devotees and that everyone’s wishes are fulfilled.”
