For kanwariyas, yatra is a route to devotion, social acceptance and fun

Sitting inside a makeshift camp for kanwariyas near Kashmere Gate ISBT, Sanjeev Kushwah, 25, is wrapping his blistered feet with bandages. He’s almost at the end of a five-day-long 400-km round trip to Haridwar. Home in Gautampuri in east Delhi is still nearly 10 km away and the four pots of water he has shouldered from the Ganga river in Har Ki Pauri are weighing him down. However, instead of pain and exhaustion, Mr. Kushwah is full of excitement at the prospect of returning to a grand welcome.

“I had been seeing a group of three boys from our neighbourhood undertake the journey every year. They seemed to be having a lot of fun. Like me, the three unmarried migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh didn’t get much respect from our neighbours. But each year, on their return, they were feted by the entire Gautampuri,” said Mr. Kushwah.

He added, “I also wanted to be part of the journey and feel a sense of bonding with those around me. That’s why I set out for Haridwar with the three on Saturday.”

Of the four pots that Mr. Kushwah, who earns his living as a golgappa vendor, is carrying, one is meant for his family, one for his neighbours, and one for the local temple. The fourth, he intends to keep for himself.

The injured feet of a female devotee.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Kanwar Yatra falls in ‘Shravan’, a holy month in the Hindu calendar. This year, the yatra lasted 13 days and concluded on Wednesday, marked by ‘Shravan Shivratri’.

Hope of acceptance

Ashwini Bhola, 24, and Bhawana Bholi, 20, who got married earlier this year against their families’ wishes, were determined to make their first pilgrimage together. Not only to receive Lord Shiva’s blessings. But also to be accepted by their parents and neighbours.

A kanwariya posing for a photo with his family in Delhi.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

“It’s been over six months since we got married and moved into a rented flat in Nabi Karim, but neither of our families has accepted us yet. Hopefully, our lives will be easier when we offer our families and neighbours Ganga water and prasad,” said Mr. Ashwini Bhola.

‘Fun with friends’

While some people make the annual pilgrimage out of devotion and for social acceptance, for youngsters like Pramod Thakur, the walkathon also holds the promise of an adventurous outstation trip at zero cost.

“For an unemployed person like me, this is the only outing I can afford. Besides, my family can’t prohibit it outright. Food, water, and accommodation are available at camps every few metres of the way. I’ll never forget the fun I had on this trip with my friends, said the 20-year-old from north-west Delhi’s Shastri Nagar.