Kanwar Yatra 2020: this year, the yatra was canceled due to a coronavirus pandemic
New Delhi:
The month of Sawan, in the Hindu calendar, is of great importance for the followers of Lord Shiva who continue Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar every year. But this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Uttarakhand said: Kanwar Yatra will not be possible and Ganga water will be taken from Har ki Pauri and sent to all states for the devotees of Shiva.
“The chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have agreed that the Kanwar Yatra is not possible this year. So we decided to send water from the Ganges, in large brass urns, to these states, “Madan Kaushik, a senior government official in Uttarakhand, told PTI news agency.
Every year Kanwariyas walk hundreds of miles from their respective states to Haridwar, where they take a sacred plunge and bring back the waters of the Ganges to pour Shivalingas into the temples.
Kanwariyas generally walk in large groups and following COVID-19 guidelines can be difficult, authorities said. Ganga water will be made available for Kanwariyas in most of the country’s temples, said Kaushik, adding that it was a symbolic gesture of respect for the faith of the Kanwariyas and all of Shiva’s followers in the midst of the pandemic.
Kanwar Yatra normally starts from the first “Sawan Somvar” considered auspicious. Throughout the month, many worshipers fast and offer prayers to Lord Shiva every Monday. Mythology says, it’s Sawan that Lord Shiva had chosen Parvati as his wife and that the month is dedicated to Shiva and Parvati.
