Dhami government decides against Kanwar Yatra

The Uttarakhand government has decided not to allow Kanwar Yatra to limit the threat of a third Covid-19 wave.

“We don’t want Haridwar to become the epicentre of Covid-19. Our government has decided not to allow the Kanwar Yatra in view of Covid-19,” chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters in Dehradun on Tuesday after a meeting with officials.

“Giving the topmost priority to the safety of human lives, the government has decided not to allow the Kanwar Yatra,” a press release issued by the state government said. The release said the opinion of experts were discussed at the meeting.


The state has asked the home secretary, the DGP and other officials to take effective measures after coordinating with neighbouring states. In the last week of June, the previous government of Tirath Singh Rawat had cancelled the pilgrimage but after change of guard, the new government reviewed the decision on July 8. It asked officials to consult UP, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal before taking a final decision.

During the yatra, Shiva devotees, known as kanwariyas, walk hundreds of km to pilgrim spots in Uttarakhand to collect Ganga water and carry it back to local temples.