HARIDWAR: The Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar this year experienced an unprecedented crowd, leading to its extension until late evening on Saturday. The high turnout of dak kanwariyas resulted in traffic blockades for 10-12 hours at various locations. A Ganga Sabha official said that such a massive turnout on the yatra's last day had "never been witnessed before". The official attributed it to a significant influx of dak kanwariyas in the last four to five days of the fortnight-long pilgrimage.
As compared to previous years, the number of dak kanwariyas, who transport Ganga water back on bikes or vehicles, multiplied this year, causing prolonged traffic congestion and delays for the kanwariyas to reach Har-ki-Pauri to collect Ganga water. Manoj Gehtori, a resident of Vishnu Garden, said, "With their number rising manifold this year, traffic snarled up for hours."
Tanmay Vashishth, the general secretary of Ganga Sabha, explained why some kanwariyas stayed back in Haridwar on Saturday night. "The day of Shivratri was on Saturday, with the time of worship being 8.31 pm. However, according to some, the festival date extends until a few hours on Sunday morning. As a result, some kanwariyas will offer Ganga water to Shivalingas on Sunday as well."
Meanwhile, Haridwar district magistrate (DM) Dhiraj Singh Garbyal and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ajay Singh held a press conference on Saturday to provide updates on the event. “A total of 4.07 crore kanwariyas arrived in Haridwar during the Kanwar mela, out of which 21 lakh were women. Thirteen deaths were reported, including three due to drowning and others resulting from accidents. Additionally, 46.80 lakh vehicles arrived in Haridwar for Dak Kanwar, including 42 lakh two-wheelers, 3 lakh light vehicles, and 1.80 lakh trucks and heavy vehicles. Due to the floods in Laksar, kanwar traffic heading towards Haridwar was diverted to the highway, causing traffic congestion," SSP Ajay Singh told TOI. With inputs from MS Nawaz
Start a Conversation
Post comment