Uttar Pradesh: Traffic curbs, diversions announced in Noida ahead of Kanwar Yatra
The Noida traffic police have also issued diversions to prevent any congestion.
To be sure, in Noida, pilgrims will enter through Mayur Vihar, pass by the Shani Temple and Okhla Bird Sanctuary, and exit at Kalindi Kunj, covering a route of approximately four kilometres within the city.
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'All concerned departments were asked to repair and maintain cleanliness along the route for the Kanwar pilgrims,' said officials.
The health department is set to provide eight ambulances and set up medical camps. These camps will be staffed with 16 doctors, 16 pharmacists, and 16 ward boys with necessary medicines, they said.
In coordination with the power department, more than 600 electric poles and 50 transformers have been insulated to avoid any untoward incidents, they added.
Meanwhile, DJ operators and event organisers during a meeting were also advised to follow prescribed guidelines.
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'DJ operators were advised not to exceed the height of the DJ setup beyond 10 feet and the width beyond 12 feet. They were also instructed not to play music louder than the limit prescribed by the court ,' the Noida Police in a statement.
Officials said an additional police force comprising traffic police, city police, and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) will be deployed to ensure safety. Additionally, a control room has been established near Sector 14A to monitor the situation through CCTV cameras, it added.
On traffic diversions, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Lakhan Singh Yadav said that the movement of goods carriers on city roads will be restricted from 10pm on July 11 until July 25 for safety reasons.
'They will be diverted to the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway for those heading towards Delhi and Haryana. Such vehicles will be stopped on major routes including the Elevated Road, DND Flyway, and Kalindi Kunj. The vehicular movement from Chilla red light to Okhla Bird Sanctuary via the Shani Temple will be entirely prohibited,' he added.
Police have also warned of action against anyone found spreading fake news or attempting to create panic on social media related to the pilgrimage.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
From Bihar, an example: A Kanwar Yatra that empowers women, and doesn't threaten
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I invite both those worried by the recent evolution of the pilgrimage and those who cheer Kanwariyas' impunity to look to Bihar, where I witnessed a Kanwar Yatra of a different kind — liberating and cathartic, yet neither aggressive nor exclusionary. When people say 'Kanwariyas,' they usually mean the pilgrims who carry water from the Ganga in Haridwar to pour it over Shiva lingams across Uttarakhand, UP, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Their thunderous passage through Delhi NCR makes them the most visible to both the media and the elite. But there are, in fact, many distinct versions of the Kanwar Yatra across India. In Bihar, it takes the form of Bol Bam (literally, 'Say Bam,' a chant to Shiva), in which devotees collect sacred Ganga jal from Sultanganj and carry it on foot to the revered Baidyanath temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand. Bol Bam enjoys an immense following across eastern India. This is the yatra I recently completed. Not for research or spirituality, but out of friendship. For 14 years, I have visited the same family in Majhgain, a village on the pilgrimage route. Last year, half-joking, I told Auntie I'd walk with her once I finish my PhD. I never expected her to take me seriously. But, three weeks ago, when she told me she was ready to leave, I felt a rush of tenderness. I would never have gone if not for her. Most Kanwariyas marching from Haridwar are young men. As The Indian Express reported, women's presence is often an 'afterthought'. In other words, far from flipping power dynamics, the yatra tends to grant even more space to those who already dominate public life — men. If you add to that mob spirit, a sense of impunity, and heavy cannabis use, cities become dramatically more menacing to women when pilgrims sweep through. Bihar's Bol Bam offers a very different gender equation. Though men are more numerous, women are everywhere. Old, middle-aged, young; some with male relatives, some without. 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