Kanwar order for ensuring peaceful pilgrimage: UP govt tells SC

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government in a detailed submission to the Supreme Court on Thursday opposed petitions against its directive asking shopowners along Kanwar Yatra route to display their names.

The Yogi administration claimed that the directive was meant to ensure peaceful pilgrimage along the route.

Explaining further, the submission claimed the directive was issued following complaints from Kanwariyas about confusion caused by the names of the shops and eateries.

The government said in its statement said: ‘The yatra is an arduous journey, where some Kanwariyas , i.e. the Dak Kanwariyas, do not even stop to rest once the Kanwar is on their shoulders. There are sacred features of the pilgrimage, such as the fact that the Kanwar, once filled with holy Gangajal, is not to be kept on the ground; nor under the shadow of the gular tree. It may also be noted that a Kanwaria embarks on the Yatra after years of preparation.’

Kanwariyas, the devotees of Lord Shiva in their millions, every year take out the pilgrimage to fetch the holly water from the Ganges River.

It is reported that the pilgrims allegedly raised concerns about the food they eat along the route, which they believe is cooked in line with religious practices.

The opposition termed the government’s directive 'anti-muslim' intended to creating divisions within the society.

Devotees from across the nation set in Kanwar Yatra on July 22, on the occasion of the first Monday of 'Sawan'.

Devotees thronged temples dedicated to Lord Shiva including the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, the Kali Paltan temple in Meerut, and the Jharkhandi Mahadev Temple in Gorakhpur to offer prayers.

They also took a holy dip in the Ganga to mark the first Monday of 'Sawan'.