Odisha prohibits Kanwaria Yatra amid pandemic
Bhubaneswar: The state government on Saturday prohibited religious activities and congregations as part of the Kanwaria Yatra during the Hindu month of Shravan (July-August) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Announcing the state government’s decision, special relief commissioner P K Jena said the Kanwarias (also known as Bol Bom devotees) will not be allowed to collect water from any religious place or water bodies and pour the water in any Shiva temple on Mondays during the month. The devotees will also not be allowed to walk on any road carrying the water this year.
The state government has already issued orders on June 30 directing religious places and places of worship to remain shut till July-end and prohibiting all social, political and religious functions and congregations during that period. “We have decided to prohibit the Kanwaria Yatra this year as such activities have extensive potential of spreading Covid-19,” said Jena.
The SRC said the order issued by the state government to prohibit Kanwaria Yatra will be strictly implemented by all the district administrations in the interest of public health and any deviation will be dealt with strictly.
Earlier, several northern states like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana had suspended the Kanwaria Yatra.
According to tradition, thousands of saffron-clad kanwarias flood major roads across the state during Shravan and walk barefoot for several miles. The Kanwarias usually start their journey on Saturday and Sunday by collecting water from specific water bodies, walk till Monday morning and pour water on a Shiva Linga, which is known as jal abhishek.
Roads leading to popular Shiva shrines in the state, including the Lingaraj temple in the city, witness massive footfall of Kanwarias as large numbers of men, women, old people and also children take part in the annual religious event.
Although the tradition of Kanwaria Yatra is very popular in North India, a large number of people in Odisha also participate in it. Some of the Shiva shrines witness footfall of 40,000 to 50,000 Kanwarias every Monday during Shravan.
Some political leaders also participate in the annual event in Odisha. “I have been participating in the Kanwaria Yatra for the past 21 years. Since the state government has prohibited it this year, we will adhere to the government guidelines,” said former minister and Cuttack-Sadar BJD MLA Chandrasarathi Behera.
Business to the tune of more than Rs 50 crore linked to Kanwaria Yatra will be affected due to the government decision, market sources said.