Latest news with #ShravanKanwarMela
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Record 45 million Kanwariyas visit Uttarakhand for Shravan; police cases filed over hooliganism
A record 45 million Kanwariyas visited Haridwar during the 13-day Shravan Kanwar Mela held from July 11 to 23, officials from the Kanwar Mela cell said on Wednesday, adding that the number surpassed last year's footfall of 41.4 million pilgrims and 40.7 million in 2023. Officials said the final tally was still being updated as pilgrims continued to arrive and leave the city till late evening. A large number of kanwariyas moving through Delhi caused massive traffic jams across the city, leaving many commuters stuck for hours. Traffic across Anand Vihar to Apsara Border was restricted till 8 AM on July 23 due to the Kanwar Yatra crossing from the route. (Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times) To mark the successful completion of the mela, district magistrate Mayur Dixit and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pramendra Dobhal offered prayers at Brahmakund, Har-ki-Pauri, and at Shri Daksheshwar Mahadev temple in Kankhal. 'The mela concludes with over 4.5 crore devotees collecting Ganga water. We thank all devotees, Mela staff, police, paramilitary forces, volunteers, and residents for their cooperation,' said Dixit. Later, the officials met Mata Mansa Devi temple trust president Mahant Ravindra Puri and thanked the saint community and akhadas for their support. Amid concerns over garbage accumulation at the ghats, Dixit said a three-day cleanliness drive will be carried out across the mela zone, Kanwar patri, highways, parking lots, and marketplaces. 'Pilgrims and residents must be sensitised against littering. Ganga is our mother, and polluting her banks goes against our beliefs,' said Mahamandleshwar Swami Harichetnanand of the Bada Udasin Akhada. The state police deployed 3,000 policemen, 1,350 home guards and PRD (Pradeshik Raksha Dal), 15 companies of PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary), nine companies of paramilitary forces, nine teams of bomb disposal squad, four teams of the anti-terrorist squad, 10 teams of SDRF, 10 teams of drones operating personnel, and seven teams of jal police during the Kanwar yatra. The mela was monitored round-the-clock through drones and CCTV cameras. Anti-terror squads, bomb disposal teams, mounted units, sniffer dogs, and undercover personnel were deployed for security. 'The traffic plan, parking zones, and crowd control measures were implemented effectively. The Mela force performed commendably with support from volunteers,' SSP Dobhal said. As the yatra comes to an end, police said that according to official data, a dozen FIRs were registered, 17 people arrested and 150 unidentified kanwariyas booked for hooliganism and indulging in violence during the Kanwar yatra. Uttarakhand director general of police (DGP) Deepam Seth on July 10 said that hooliganism in the name of faith will not be tolerated and dealt with strict action. On July 15, Uttarakhand high court took serious note of incidents of violence reported during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra in the state and sought a detailed response from the DGP and Panchayati Raj secretary Chandresh Kumar Yadav on how the state plans to manage conducting Panchayat elections at a time when the state is witnessing huge influx of Kanwariyas in the ongoing Kanwar Yatra and prevailing monsoon conditions across the state. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dehradun-based petitioner Baijnath, seeking rescheduling of upcoming Panchayat elections in light of the Kanwar Yatra and prevailing monsoon conditions across the state.
Hindustan Times
22-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
‘Panchmukhi shivling' found during excavation in UP's Badaun draws crowd, police deployed at site
A 'panchmukhi shivling' was found during the excavation of a pond in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun. The pond is located in Sarai Piparia village in Dataganj tehsil, reports said on Tuesday. The local administration deployed police and revenue teams at the site.(Representational) The 'shivling' drew a large crowd from the surrounding villages, with the local administration deploying police and revenue teams at the site, PTI new agency reported. The five-faced shivling, made of marble, was unearthed from about six feet below the surface by a bulldozer. The archaeological department will be called to assess the history and the age of the shivling, Dataganj Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dharmendra Kumar Singh said. However, Mahant Parmatma Das Maharaj of Papad Brahmadev Mandir claimed that the shivling was about three centuries old. Environmentalist Shipra Pathak, who was present during the excavation, said that the digging was being conducted for building a lotus pond on her 13-acre land. Pathak, who was also associated with Narmada Bachao Abhiyan, said that the discovery of the shivling was a 'divine sign'. 'One doesn't need blind faith for miracles — true faith brings miracles naturally,' Pathak said. A plant nursery – Panch Tatva Paudhshala – is also under construction on the land. Pathak plans to distribute five lakh plants every year through her foundation. 'Now that Lord Mahadev has manifested here, a grand and divine temple will be constructed at the site,' the environmentalist said. Meanwhile, the Kanwar Yatra is underway, with chief minister Yogi Adityanath reviewing the preparations for the annual pilgrimage undertaken by devotees. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also visited the Dudheshwar Nath temple in Ghaziabad and formally inaugurated the Shravan Kanwar Mela. He assessed preparations for the influx of Kanwariyas and asked for detailed updates on the arrangements, district magistrate Deepak Meena said. The CM also warned against any attempt to disrupt the Yatra. Adityanath said that it was the 'responsibility" of Kanwar sangh and Shiv devotees to 'expose such elements' and to inform the authorities if such incidents do occur.
Hindustan Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath reviews Kanwar yatra plans in west Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, on Sunday morning visited Dudheshwar Nath temple in Ghaziabad and formally inaugurated the Shravan Kanwar Mela while also reviewing the Kanwar Yatra preparations in western districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP), said officials. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath showering flowers on Kanwariyas in Meerut on Sunday. (Sakib Ali / HT PHOTO) CM Yogi assessed the preparations for the Kanwar Mela at the temple and sought detailed updates from district magistrate Deepak Meena regarding the arrangements for the influx of Kanwariyas, said officials of the UP information department. 'CM Yogi also inquired about the progress of the Dudheshwar Nath temple corridor being developed under the tourism department within the temple premises. After visiting the temple, CM Yogi proceeded to the Ghaziabad police lines, from where he boarded a helicopter to shower flower petals on Kanwariyas travelling along routes passing through various districts of western UP, especially near the borders of Muzaffarnagar and Meerut,' said officials. 'CM Yogi expressed satisfaction about the arrangements taken up for Kanwar Yatra and Kanwariyas in Ghaziabad. We also briefed him about the progress of the temple corridor, for which several old shops need to be shifted out. We will also hold a meeting in this regard within a week, and further progress is expected soon,' said district magistrate Deepak Meena. The temple corridor in Ghaziabad is expected to be built on the lines of the corridor in Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi. While in Meerut district, CM Yogi warned of strict action against any attempt to disrupt the Yatra. 'It is the responsibility of every Kanwar sangh and every Shiv bhakt to expose such elements and immediately inform the authorities. The entire Yatra route is under CCTV surveillance, and once the Yatra concludes, strict action will be taken against those identified. Their posters will also be displayed publicly,' said CM Yogi in a statement issued by the department. CM Yogi while taking a dig at the previous governments said that before 2017, such pilgrimages were neither supported nor respected, but they were obstructed. 'Today, with a government that values and protects faith, it is the collective duty of all devotees to carry forward this tradition with peace and respect. If anyone receives information about any such person, they should inform the administration instead of taking the law into their own hands,' said CM Yogi. Reacting to CM Yogi's statements, Samajwadi Party's district president Faizal Hussain, said, 'The Kanwar Yatra went on peacefully during previous years and previous governments, and it was never stopped. People of different faiths have always supported and contributed towards it. Political statements should be avoid during religious events. But, it is the habit of the BJP leaders to play divisive politics. They will never raise and listen to the issues of unemployment, poverty, lack of education facilities and healthcare which largely affect the common man.'
