‘Shravan Kumar of Kalyug’: 4 Brothers Carry Their Parents in Palanquins, Walk 130 Kilometres For Kanwar Yatra

The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's devotees Kanwariyas, who visit Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch holy waters of River Ganga in the Hindu month of Shravan.

New Delhi: Four brothers from Haryana’s Panipat reached Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district on Sunday by carrying their parents in two palanquins in view of the Kanwar Yatra. This year, the Yatra began on July 17.

Covering a distance of almost 130 kilometres on foot, Papan (one of the four brothers) said: “We have started our journey from Panipat on July 20. Our parents are our gods and they have done a lot for us.”

Papan added that in 2018, only two brothers participated in the yatra, but this time all four of them took part in it.

Shamli: Four brothers from Haryana's Panipat, participating in 'kanwar yatra' reached Shamli today from Uttarakhand's Haridwar by carrying their parents in two baskets, tied to each end of a bamboo pole. They say, "There were two brother last time, this time we are all four." pic.twitter.com/VjvOLTueJa

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Every year, scores of devotees from across the country undertake the pilgrimage called Kanwar Yatra. Clad in orange-coloured clothes with decorated pots on their shoulders, the pilgrims begin the yatra by foot during Saavan, a month in the Hindu calendar.

A majority of these pilgrims are young men, who notably visit Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch water from River Ganga. Later, the holy water is dispensed as offerings to Lord Shiva in temples.

In a bid to ensure smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra in Uttar Pradesh, as many as 200 CCTV cameras and 90 surveillance drones were installed along the pilgrimage route. Security measures in these places have been tightened, stated a report.

SSP Abhishek Yadav informed that teams of para-military force and Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (UP-PAC) have been deployed along the pilgrimage route to secure the Kanwariyas. A team of divers was also roped in to rescue the pilgrims from drowning, the SSP said.

(With Agency inputs)