Read part one of the series here.
Haridwar/Muzaffarnagar/Meerut/Delhi: Shravan, considered holy to many Hindus, began on July 22, 2024, and with it, the Kanwar Yatra began. Thousands of Kanwar Yatris have been participating. In Haridwar of Uttarakhand, throngs of kanwariyas can be seen gathering at the ghats to carry the waters of the Ganga back to their hometowns.
Haridwar boasts over 15 major ghats. The famous Har Ki Paudi ghat is the one most frequented by kanwariyas. This ghat, thus, is the starting point of the Kanwar Yatra. With lakhs crowding a single riverbank, the Uttarakhand government’s inability to prepare for the event has also been on full display. The ghat has been home to piles of garbage, with material waste flying around.
Garbage piled up on Har Ki Paudi Ghat.
Devotees
What does the kanwariya carry? There are many kinds of the kanwar – Jula Kanwar, Dak Kanwar, Vishal Kanwar, Pittu Kanwar, Khadi Kanwar, and Kalash Kanwar.
Kalash Kanwar is stacks of kalash or steel pots placed on either side of a bamboo stick. These kalashes are tied with tight ropes to prevent them from falling, and once they are filled with water, they are sealed to prevent any leakage. If the water spills anywhere on the way to the kanwariyas’ hometown, the kanwar of that kanwariya is considered broken.
This year’s Kanwar Yatra from Haridwar to Muzaffarnagar and Meerut saw Kalash Kanwars with water ranging from 11 litres to almost 121 litres.
Kanwariya sleeping in the rain next to their Kanwar at Har Ki Paudi Ghat. Photo: Atul Ashok Hawale.
For the two other most popular kanwars – Jula Kanwar and Khadi Kanwar – the kanwars are decorated.
There are some for whom this is the first Kanwar Yatra. For some others, it is their 25th.
Many kanwariyas who participate in the Kanwar Yatra come from economically weaker sections of society. As I travelled from Haridwar to Delhi, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, and Roorkee, I did not see a single businessman, politician, government employee, or wealthy individual carrying a kanwar.
Several participants did not complete their school education. Several were daily wage workers, labourers, drivers, unemployed, or students.
A man participant in the Kanwar Yatra is called a “bhole,” while a woman participant is called a “bholi.” A bhole is a devotee of the Hindu deity Shiv. During this Yatra, kanwariyas adhere to a vegetarian diet, avoiding non-vegetarian food, onion and garlic.
Kalash Kanwar in Haridwar.
Arguments between hotel or dhaba owners and kanwariyas along the way due to the use of onions and garlic in food are common.
Rajesh, who came from Delhi to Haridwar for the Kanwar Yatra, tells me, “I work as a daily wage worker. I have been doing the Kanwar Yatra for the last six years, and this year, 18 people have participated with me. They are also daily wage workers. The journey from Haridwar to Delhi will take us the next 10 days to complete, and the cost is expected to be Rs 7,000-8,000 each.”
Some said they saved money all year for the Yatra.
Anmol Yadav, who lives in Kalyanpuri, Delhi, is participating in the Kanwar Yatra for the first time this year with his friends. Anmol’s father is a factory worker who makes belts, while his mother is disabled and stays at home.
Anmol says, “I am a student of Class 8. I am walking with a Pittu Kavad, while my friends have taken Kalash Kavad.”
Kanwariya carrying Kalash Kanwar near Shiv Chowk in Muzaffarnagar.
Advised by his friend, Anmol took Rs 10,000 from his mother for the whole trip but exhausted it in the course of the stretch from Haridwar to Muzaffarnagar. Subsequent online payments by his mother, of Rs 500 and then Rs 200 also proved inadequate.
“Most of my money was spent on food. The dhabawala charged Rs 100 for a plate. Now, I have to manage my expenses until we reach Delhi, where there is a Kanwar camp so that I can save money,” Anmol said.
A Kanwariya wears mostly saffron clothes or a shirt or T-shirt with a picture of Shiv on it. Some kanwariyas decorate their kanwar with flags, rudraksha beads, masks or images of Shiv.
Kanwariyas from Haryana, Delhi, Meerut, and Ghaziabad, after leaving Haridwar, usually visit the Shiv temple at Shiv Chowk in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, before proceeding to their hometowns.
Every year, Shiv Chowk, Meenakshi Chowk, and Rana Chowk in Muzaffarnagar are crowded during this time.
Kalash Kanwar placed on the Meerut-Delhi highway road with flags placed on both sides. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale.
I spotted a kanwar carrying a blue flag with “Jai Bhim” written on. Today, Dalits are among the most oppressed groups in the country. Those who consider themselves upper-caste Hindus often deny Dalits entry to temples. Kapil Sagar, a youth from the same Dalit community, was walking with a 51-litre kanwar of Ganga water during the Kanwar Yatra. He is a native of Saitli, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
“I have been walking from Haridwar for the past five days on this Kanwar Yatra. I have completed Class 12. I have two brothers and a sister. My father is a mason. One brother runs a canteen, and the other works in a factory. As others have hoisted flags, I have also hoisted a blue flag with Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ‘Jai Bhim’ written on it. Dr. Ambedkar is also our god,” he says.
Families
For many, the Kanwar Yatra is a family affair.
Laxman, who works as a driver in Delhi, was walking with his two daughters. In this Kanwar Yatra, the participation of women was slightly less than that of men.
A husband and wife with their two children attending the Kanwar Yatra. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale.
Laxman has been participating in the Kanwar Yatra since 2008, but this year he has brought Karishma and Sunahli.
Laxman says, “I have taken 15 days off from work to participate in this. Sanatan Hinduism is the greatest religion. Every Hindu should do the Kanwar Yatra at least once in their life. Both my daughters wanted to come, so I brought them. Both girls have taken leave from school.”
Rambabu, who works as a bike mechanic in Delhi, and his son on the Kanwar Yatra. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale.
Like Laxman, Rambabu, originally from Aligarh but currently living in Delhi for work as a bike mechanic, has brought his son with him for the first time this year. Since July 25, Rambabu has been travelling with his son on a bike from Haridwar. Rambabu has been participating in the Kanwar Yatra since 2013; last time, he says, he walked to Delhi with a Jula Kanwar.
Rambabu says, “My family consists of three children and a wife. Every time I participate in the Kanwar Yatra alone, but this time my son said that he also wanted to come. He will go back to school after the trip, he is very happy now.”
Older participants note that in recent years, the number of kanwariyas participating has been steadily increasing.
