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Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Sea of devotees perform 'jalabhishek' at Shiva temples across UP, U'khand as Kanwar Yatra ends
New Delhi, As the fortnight-long Kanwar Yatra concluded on the occasion of Sawan Shivratri on Wednesday, a large number of devotees, who travelled several kilometers to collect the holy water of river Ganga, performed 'jalabhishek' at Shiva temples across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Sea of devotees perform 'jalabhishek' at Shiva temples across UP, U'khand as Kanwar Yatra ends More than 4.5 crore devotees reached Uttarakhand's Haridwar within a fortnight this year to collect Ganga water during the Kanwar Yatra that began on July 11, according to Mela Control Room data. The streets resonated with chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Bam Bam Bhole' as kanwariyas made a beeline outside temples and waited for their turn to offer their prayers to Lord Shiva. A seemingly endless stream of saffron-clad devotees was seen at the Dakshaprajapati Mahadev temple complex in Haridwar's Kankhal. which is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva's in-laws. According to mythological beliefs, keeping a promise made to his father-in-law King Daksha, Lord Shiva resides in Kankhal for the entire month of Shravan. Other Shivalayas of Kankhal, like the Daridra Bhanjan, Tilbhandeshwar, Bilveshwar, Neeleshwar and Gaurishankar temples, also drew large crowds of devotees. Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit and Senior Superintendent of Police Pramod Dobal also performed Ganga puja at Har Ki Pauri along with their subordinate officials. They took water from there and performed 'jalabhishek' at the Daksha temple, expressing gratitude to Lord Shiva for the smooth conclusion of the Kanwar fair attended each year by crores of devotees. In Uttar Pradesh, Shiva temples across the region witnessed scores of devotees offering prayers to Lord Shiva on Wednesday. A large crowd of devotees has gathered at Varanasi's famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Flowers were also showered on the worshippers, CEO of the temple Vishwa Bhushan Mishra said. Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal assured that "special surveillance" is being maintained through CCTV cameras and drones to ensure law and order. The ancient Kartikeya Mahadev Temple in Sambhal which reopened earlier this year after nearly 46 years also saw a significant turnout of devotees. Sub Divisional Magistrate Vikas Chandra, who performed 'jalabhishek' at the temple, said that authorities are working hard to restore Sambhal's 'lost identity'. Deepak Kumar, a devotee who came to offer his prayers at the temple, said, 'We are blessed to have had the opportunity to worship and perform 'jalabhishek' at this ancient temple.' At the Sadat Bari Shiva Temple in Bahjoi, District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya and Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar showered flowers on the pilgrims. A dedicated service camp was established on the Moradabad road in Chandausi under the supervision of Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary, where kanwariyas returning from their pilgrimage were provided with fruits and a 'bhandara'. Meanwhile, a state level boxer, Kritika Thakur , became the first woman in Himachal Pradesh to complete a 600-km-long Kanwar Yatra on foot, by carrying Ganga water from Gaumukh to her hometown in Mandi's Derdu village. Thakur undertook the challenging pilgrimage for the second consecutive year during the month of Sawan. After successfully completing the kanwar yatra from Haridwar to Sundernagar in 2024, she resolved to test her strength and devotion further this year by trekking from Gaumukh, located in the high-altitude terrains of Uttarakhand. She concluded her journey by performing the 'jalabhishek' of the Shivling at her village's Omkareshwar temple using the Ganga water she carried on foot. Nothing is difficult if you are determined, Thakur told PTI, adding that her father, who has been undertaking the yatra for the past 11 years, is her inspiration. While the Kanwar Yatra concluded with religious fervor on Wednesday, some accidents also claimed the lives of a few kanwariyas. In Rajasthan, two people died and 30 others got injured when a truck carrying kanwariyas came in contact with a hanging overhead power line in a village in Alwar district on Wednesday. The group of kanwariyas and locals were performing a parikrama of the Beechganwa village in a DJ truck when the vehicle came in contact with a live wire. After the parikrama, the group was to head towards a temple. In Madhya Pradesh, four kanwariyas died and two others got injured after being hit by a speeding car in Gwalior district in the early hours of the day. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident and announced an assistance of ₹4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased persons, the official said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Kanwar Yatra ends; 4.5 crore pilgrims reached Haridwar in 15 days
Haridwar in Uttarakhand resonated with chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Bam Bam Bhole' as the fortnight-long Kanwar Yatra ended on Wednesday with lakhs of devotees thronging the banks of the Ganga to collect the waters of the holy river and perform 'jalabhishek' at Shiva temples in the town on Sawan Shivratri. According to Mela Control Room sources, more than 4.5 crore devotees reached Haridwar within a fortnight this year to collect Ganga water during the Kanwar Yatra. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category A seemingly endless stream of saffron-clad devotees was seen at the Dakshaprajapati Mahadev temple complex in the Kankhal area which is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva's in-laws. According to mythological beliefs, keeping a promise made to his father-in-law King Daksha, Lord Shiva resides in Kankhal for the entire month of Shravan. Other Shivalayas of Kankhal, like the Daridra Bhanjan, Tilbhandeshwar, Bilveshwar, Neeleshwar and Gaurishankar temples, also drew large crowds of devotees. Live Events Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit and Senior Superintendent of Police Pramod Dobal also performed Ganga puja at Har Ki Pauri along with their subordinate officials. They took water from there and performed 'jalabhishek' (offering) at the Daksha temple, expressing gratitude to Lord Shiva for the smooth conclusion of the Kanwar fair attended each year by crores of devotees.
India Gazette
27-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary holds meeting ahead of Kanwar Yatra
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 27 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan held a meeting of the Interstate Coordination Committee in Haridwar's CCR Auditorium to ensure smooth, pleasant and safe conduct of the upcoming Kanwar Mela. Senior officials from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan participated in the meeting through both offline and online mediums. On this occasion, Chief Secretary Bardhan stated that the Kanwar Mela is a significant festival of faith and devotion. He said that the district administration, police and other related departments should ensure tight arrangements to ensure the safe nd successful completion of the Kanwar Yatra. He also discussed sharing real-time coordination and data with all the states. All necessary inputs should be shared from a security point of view. The Chief Secretary emphasised the maximum use of modern technology in the arrangements of the Kanwar Mela. He said that all preparations should be made with the upcoming Kumbh Mela in mind so that the experiences of the fair are also beneficial during Kumbh. The Chief Secretary said that tight arrangements should be ensured for law and order and traffic management during the Kanwar fair. He also instructed the district administration to use BHEL parking if required. Safety standards should be followed in the dhabas and hotels located on the Yatra route, and rate lists should be mandatorily displayed. DGP Deepam Seth said that every event presents new challenges. He said that to ensure this fair of faith and devotion is conducted in a safe manner, real-time information should be shared, and any kind of rumour should be uniformly denied. Only those workers who are proficient in their work should be sent to each other state. He said that information about 'what to do and what not to do' for Kanwariyas and devotees should be mandatorily displayed on the Yatra routes. The expectations of inter-state coordination should be fulfilled, and the fair should be conducted peacefully. In the meeting, Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli stated that devotees participating in the yatra should not encounter any problems, the traffic system should be simple, easy, and safe, and all preparations should be made with the devotees' convenience in mind. District Magistrate Mayur Dixit and SSP Pramod Singh Dobal gave detailed information about the preparations being made for the Kanwar Yatra, including the duration of the Kanwar Yatra, the percentage of devotees coming from different states, traffic management plan, social media monitoring through a PowerPoint presentation. On behalf of Uttar Pradesh, DIG Abhishek gave detailed information about the ongoing preparations, including the travel plan. It was decided in the meeting that all the necessary information and inputs should be shared in real-time from a security point of view, social media should be monitored, and links for strict action against those spreading rumours should also be shared. The Kanwars should not be more than 10 feet in height. The SOP related to liquor and meat should be strictly followed. All identified DJ operators should be bound off by giving notice as per the rules. Uttarakhand should inform Uttar Pradesh about the parking situation in Haridwar from time to time. ADJ Bhanu Bhaskar from Uttar Pradesh, Home Secretary Mohit Gupta, Commissioner Meerut Division Rishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, Commissioner Bareilly Saumya Aggarwal, Commissioner Saharanpur AK Rai, DIG Saharanpur Abhishek Singh, IG RPF Pankaj Gangwar, IG Nilesh Anand Bharane from Uttarakhand, NS Napalchal, DIG Dhirendra Gunjyal, SSP Dehradun Ajay Singh, Mela Adhikari Sonika, and senior officials of the five states were present in the meeting. (ANI)
