Weak monsoon sees rise in number of kanwariyas

VARANASI: Inappropriate monsoon rain has a positive fallout as the number of kanwariyas visiting the city in Shravan has gone up, claim the organisers of camps set up for the saffron-clad devotees. The organisers further claim that there is a three-fold rise in the number of kanwariyas in comparison to the last two years.
"The timely arrival of monsoons in the past would keep a large number of rural people engaged in fields.As a result, low turnout of kanwariyas and outstation pilgrims was witnessed. But, this year due to delay in arrival of monsoon, the kanwariyas started thronging the holy city after finishing off with their field work. As a result, large turnout is being witnessed this year," Laxmi Narayan Jaiswal of Shri Baba Kashi Vishwanath Bhakt Sewa Samiti, who holds Kanwariya camp at Karamal Sabi Devi Dharamshala at Luxa every year, told TOI on Wednesday.
He said that there was an increase in the number of kanwariyas visiting from East UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and other eastern states. "Besides India, an influx of kanwariyas from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh is also witnessed at our camp every year in the holy month of Shravan," said Jaiswal. As per the data available at the camp, while around 25,000 kanwariyas thronged the camp within two weeks last year, this year over 45,000 kanwariyas thronged the camp since August 1, he informed.
Varanasi Municipal Corporation corporator Narsingh Das, who holds grand kanwariya camp at Chitranjan Park near Dashaswamedh Ghat every year also said that the arrival of kanwariyas from eastern UP, Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Allahabad had increased massively this year. According to Das, this time around one lakh kanwariyas thronged the camp of which 45,000-50,000 stayed for a day or two at the camp in last 12 days, unlike last year.
According to Gyanvapi control room, the number of kanwariyas reached up to 1.5 lakhs to 2 lakhs on Mondays of holy Shravan month whereas on an average, over 20,000 kanwariyas throng the city daily to offer Jalabhishek to Lord Shiva and worship Kashi Vishwanath Temple. SP City Sudhakar Yadav said that adequate arrangements for the kanwariyas have been made in the city including at the Kanwariyas camps located in various areas across the city.
Notably, several free service'kanwariya' camps have been set up at different places across the city. The services rendered here include fooding, lodging, first-aid facility, support for Jalabhishek and others. Kanwariyas staying at these camps shared their experience with TOI. "I have been a regular at this camp for last four years and they provide good facilities here. The camp is safe to keep our belongings as lockers are available for us," said Arvind Kumar Gupta, a Kanwariya from Raniganj (West Bengal). Another devotee Gulab Yadav from Jaunpur said he had no complains with the camp facilities and moreover his sole purpose is to worship and seek blessings of Lord Shiva and not have a leisure time.
Another kanwariya, LK Soni from Madhya Pradesh said, "Although good arrangements have been made by these religious and social organizations, yet the security can be tightened further as large number of young Kanwariyas throng the camps and tend to misbehave with women staying at camps."