Kashi Vishwanath: Pilgrims head for Varanasi

          Varanasi: Hindu devotees from all over the country today converged at the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple on the banks of Ganga in Varanasi to mark the first Monday of Shravan. According to the Hindu calendar, Shravan is believed to be auspicious and would absolve one of sins. The pilgrims collected water from the holy river and would take it back to their native places to offer it to Lord Shiva. The barefoot pilgrims, also known as "kanwaria," collect water in pails and carry it on their shoulders. The pilgrims put the pails only on special platforms when they take rest or have their food as scriptures forbid them from putting it on the ground. The devotees also took bath in the Ganges to cleanse themselves off sins before filling the pots. "Today Lord Shiva bestows his blessings on us. He does that everyday, but today if we ask for something, the wish is fulfilled," said Mahesh Ram, a pilgrim. Balkishen Bansal, a devotee said: "Today is the first Monday (of the Shravan month) and on this day Lord Shiva visits us. It's very special." Over the years, the number of pilgrims has increased manifold. From 100,000 two decades back, it has increased five-fold in the last three years. The pilgrimage will conclude by the end of July.
- July 25, 2005

Kanwaria pilgrimage: Security tightened
by Ashish Goyal

          Haridwar (Uttaranchal): The police in the holy city of Haridwar in Uttaranchal have beefed up security for the annual Kanwaria festival. In Shravan month of Hindu calendar, which is believed to be auspicious, the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Bihar acquire a flaming orange hue. Lakhs of saffron-clad pilgrims carrying water collected from the Ganga in Haridwar, Gangotri or Gaumukh (the glacier from where the Ganga originates) in Uttaranchal, return to their hometowns to consecrate the lingams as a gesture of thanksgiving to Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of Destruction. The Hindu pilgrims, also known as "Kanwarias", arrive barefoot from across the country and converge on the banks of the River Ganges annually to collect the holy water. Since tradition has it that the water pot must not touch the ground till the time of consecration, charitable organisations put up makeshift stands where the pots can be kept. All along the route to Haridwar, voluntary organisations put up food and medical stalls to cater to the pilgrims.

          In Uttar Pradesh, some pilgrims make a short trek to Allahabad or Varanasi to collect the `holy' water and in northern Bihar, despite the grim situation owing to floods, the devout Hindus are said to have offered worship at Deogarh with the water collected from Sultanganj, covering a distance of 105 kilometres on foot. But it is the Haridwar-Delhi highway which is choked this season with a steady flow of kanwarias (so called because they carry a kanwar or pole on their shoulder with the covered water pots balanced on its two ends), several of them footslogging, some riding bicycles or bikes and some travelling on trucks and vans and even bullock carts. The route, a distance of over 250 km, reverberates with the high decibel chants of bol bam and Har Har Mahadev, as invocations to Siva. Loudspeakers on the roadsides and those fitted to the vehicles blare out bhajans, some set to the tune of raunchy Hindi film songs. The frenzy of the kanwarias knows no bounds; they do a jig to keep the mela mood going even as entranced older pilgrims quietly utter their prayers as they continue the trek. The outcome of this growing practice of Ganga water collection is that, for almost 20 days normal life comes to a standstill in most of these states. To the extent that the main highways connecting the rest of north India to Haridwar are closed for vehicular traffic to facilitate the safe passage of these devotees.

          According to the police, over 2,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed at sensitive spots to ensure that the festival goes off smoothly. The precautions are especially being taken in the wake of the July 5 terrorist strike on the disputed Ram Temple complex in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. "Looking at the huge numbers which we are expecting this year, and the recent terror attacks, we have put adequate security personnel in use. At least 2,000 security personnel from police and paramilitary forces are being deployed to overlook the festival. Our specialised squads, including bomb and dog squads are being put to use," said Abhinav Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Haridwar. Pilgrims says they are not scared off by the terror threats. "We are not scared. We are worshipping the Lord, he will save us from any eventuality. There is no fear," said Yatin Dhawan, a pilgrim who has already reached Haridwar. Deepak, another pilgrim, said: "We are not scared. God will help us." Over the past few years, the number of devotees taking the pilgrimage has increased manifold. From 100,000 pilgrims two decades back, the number has increased five-fold in the last two years. The pilgrimage will conclude on July 28.
July 21, 2005

Amarnath yatra begins amidst tight security

         Jammu: The first batch of 800 registered Amarnath pilgrims began their pilgrimage amidst tight security. The yatris were given an official send off from Jammu today at 7am in the morning. Due to the Pahalgam route being snowbound, these yatris will take the shorter Baltal route. While speaking to media , SP Vaid, the IG Police, Jammu said : "The Army, paramilitary forces, CRPF, BSF and local police have joined the administration to make elaborate arrangements for the safety of the yatris." Most of the pilgrims have arrived from the remote flood hit areas of Gujarat. Besides them, there were people from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. The special Srinagar-Muzaffabad bus also forms a part of their convoy which comprised of 10 matadors and 20 buses. "Whatever has happened in Ayodhya has happened. We do not fear anything. We have to do the darshan and go to Amarnath," said a yatri. In the wake of Tuesday's attack on Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhaya, the security forces are in no mood to take any chances. Thirty-one companies of CRPF are guarding the yatra route from Jammu to Baltal. "Twenty-eight lodgement centres have been identified for the yatris where staying arrangements have been made," said B R Sharma, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu.

          Amarnath Yatra is organised every year by the Jammu and Kashmir Government during the month of sharavan ( July and August); the dates however , vary every year looking at the weather conditions and according to Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) in the month of Sharavan (Vikrama Samwat). For this Yatra to Holy Cave one has to trek a height of about 14,500 ft. It is believed the feeling of divine which is always beneath ones' heart , burst out and one realises Moksha as one attends the Cave and perform the prayer before the Shivlinga . Surrounded by beautiful valleys, mountains , one can feel His presence on the paradise of the earth, the memory of which hardly vanishes with time. Here, the climatic conditions are very uncertain . Rain or snowfall may take place at any time or place during the Yatra . It is to be particularly noted that abrupt changes in temperature might occur . Sunny weather may turn into rain / snow fall in a short time . The temperature may fall upto -5 degree Centigrade . For performing this Yatra, one is required to get registered . The registration is done by J &K Govt. Tourist Offices, located at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jammu and Srinagar. Applications for registration in the prescribed format which is reproduced here . One can get the print out of this form and this can be used for registration .The filled in form is expected to be sent to the nearest registration office, along with two passport size photographs duly affixed at the indicated places, a self addressed pre stamped envelope (for speed post) and a medical fitness certificate from an MBBS doctor . Each yatri is required to submit a seperate application for registration. Each yatri is issued a registration-cum-identity slip by the registration authority. Authorities adivse Yatris to carry this identity slip during the Yatra period to ensure a smooth passage.
- July 6, 2005

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