The Uttar Pradesh government said on Saturday that the annual Kanwar Yatra, which was set to begin on July 25, will be cancelled. According to the state administration, the pilgrimage’s organisers opted to cancel it due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, despite the government’s appeal.
The development occurred a day after the Supreme Court gave the Uttar Pradesh government a nudge, asking it to reconsider its decision to hold the yatra despite Covid-19 worries.
With this, Uttar Pradesh joined the list of states which have cancelled the annual event due to Covid-19. Here is a list of such states:
Uttarakhand: Due to the coronavirus disease epidemic, the Uttarakhand government had already stated that the yatra will be suspended for the second year in a row. Expert concerns over a potential third wave of the disease prompted the state government’s decision. The sacred city of Haridwar, where Kanwariyas come to collect water from the holy river Ganga, has sealed its borders.
Jharkhand: The state government has expressed reservations about holding the Kanwar Yatra to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Deoghar district administration has made no preparations for Kanwariyas to present Ganga water gathered from the river at the famous Baba Baidyanath temple, which is regarded one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The Ratha Yatra event at the Jagannath temple in Ranchi had previously been denied permission by the Jharkhand government.
Bihar: The Nitish Kumar government has shut down all sacred sites until August 6, thus there will be no Kanwar Yatra to Deoghar this year. The Kanwarariyas transport Ganga water from Sultanganj, Bihar, to Deoghar, where it is offered to Lord Shiva.
Thousands of Shiva devotees known as Kanwariyas come largely on foot from states like as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi to gather water from the Ganges in Haridwar, Gangotri, and other locations during the Kanwar Yatra, which runs until the first week of August.
The yatra takes place in the Hindu month of Shravan.
