No Kanwar Yatra this year

The three chief ministers said religious gurus and the Kanwar Yatra organisations proposed not to hold the annual Kanwar Yatra this time.

There will be no Kanwar Yatra this year in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage that devotees of Lord Shiva undertake during the monsoon in the Hindu holy month of Shravan (July) to fetch the holy waters of the Ganga from Haridwar in Uttarakhand. Most of the pilgrims, called kanwarias, travel on foot. (Sanchit Khanna/HT File)

A decision in this regard was taken at the video conference in which Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his Uttarakhand counterpart Trivendra Singh Rawat and Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar participated on Saturday.

The three chief ministers said religious gurus and the Kanwar Yatra organisations proposed not to hold the annual Kanwar Yatra this time.

The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage that devotees of Lord Shiva undertake during the monsoon in the Hindu holy month of Shravan (July) to fetch the holy waters of the Ganga from Haridwar in Uttarakhand. Most of the pilgrims, called kanwarias, travel on foot. The pilgrims pass through several districts of western UP.

Later, Yogi Adityanath had a video conference with ADG zones and divisional commissioners. The officers have been asked to hold a dialogue with religious gurus, kanwar yatra organisations and the peace committees on the issue.

He said religious leaders should also be contacted to ensure that no assembly of more than five persons took place anywhere keeping in view the forthcoming festival of Eid Ul Azha (Bakrid).