Haridwar Border Sealed in View of Ban on ‘Kanwar Yatra’ Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

A multi-layered security arrangement is also in place around 'Har ki Pauri' -- a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar.  The administration is questioning devotees who are coming on motorcycles. 

New Delhi: In view of a ban on the annual ‘Kanwar Yatra’, the Haridwar district administration has sealed its borders with neighbouring states. Only people having written permission from their respective district magistrate are being allowed to enter Haridwar in their vehicles, news agency PTI reported quoting sources as saying.

Earlier on Monday, borders of Haridwar district were sealed at Narson, Bhagwanpur, Chidiyapur and Saptrishi checkposts, following which hundreds of vehicles had to return as they did not have the required permission.

A multi-layered security arrangement is also in place around ‘Har ki Pauri‘ — a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar.  The administration is questioning devotees who are coming on motorcycles.

In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the kanwar yatra this year has been cancelled. Last month, the chief ministers of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana had discussed the matter via video-conference and all of them agreed that the annual kanwar yatra, which sees a huge congregation of Shiva devotees in Haridwar, should be cancelled.

Scores of lord Shiva devotees from across India undertake the pilgrimage called Kanwar yatra, on foot during  Shravan- a month in the Hindu calendar every year. Wearing orange-coloured clothes with decorated pot on their shoulders, the pilgrims visit Haridwar, Gaumukh adn Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch water of river Ganga.