Kanwar Yatra cancelled for second year in row due to COVID-19 pandemic

The Uttarakhand government has cancelled the annual Kanwar Yatra for the second consecutive year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This was announced by the state government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal on Friday. The Kanwar Yatra is organised every year during Shravan month.

During the yatra, Kanwariyas or Shiva devotees fetch the holy waters of Ganga from Haridwar to offer at the Shiva temples in their respective areas.

The Kanwar Yatra, which lasts for about 10-15 days, was to begin from July 25 this year and continue till August 6. But in view of the risk of the spread of infection due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government has decided to cancel it.

Last year too, when there was the first wave of the COVID-19 in the country and the lockdown was imposed, even then the Kanwar Yatra was cancelled. This decision comes days after Uttarakhand postponed the Char Dham Yatra till further orders in compliance with the state high court's orders.

The HC on Monday had stayed the state cabinet's decision permitting Char Dham yatra with a limited number of pilgrims and had also ordered live streaming of Char Dham shrines. Uttarakhand has four pilgrimage sites namely Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.

The Uttarakhand High Court also asked the government to file the affidavit again by July 7. Meanwhile, the state has moved the Supreme Court against the HC stay order.