Record 3 crore Kanwariyas visit Uttarakhand during Kanwar fair
Over three crore Kanwariyas participated in the Kanwar fair this year in Uttarakhand, setting a record.
The stream of saffron-clad Kanwariyas, who began descending upon Haridwar and Rishikesh to collect holy waters of the Ganga with the start of Shravan on July 17, continued unabated till Tuesday night when the annual fair came to an end, IG (law and order) Ashok Kumar said.
Over three crore Kanwariyas came to Uttarakhand during the fortnight, which is a record, he said.
Apart from Haridwar and Rishikesh, the shiv bhaktas (devotees) went also to Neelkanth and Gangotri in Uttarkashi district to collect the holy waters, Kumar said.
Enthused by the swelling crowd of Kanwariyas, the state government showered flower petals on them from helicopters in Haridwar on July 28.
Kanwariyas from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh visit Uttarakhand during the Kanwar fair, where managing the crowd and maintaining order is quite a challenge Kumar expressed satisfaction at the fair passing off peacefully without any interruption.
Uttarakhand DGP Anil Raturi also commended the security personnel deployed in the fair area and along the routes taken by the Kanwariyas for their work.
