Haridwar: The Kanwar Yatra began on the first day of the Hindu month of Shravan on Thursday amid tight security arrangements with Shiva devotees pouring in Haridwar in great numbers to fetch waters of the holy Ganga.
The Kanwar Yatra is taking place after a gap of two years due to Covid-19. It is estimated that at least four crore Kanwariyas will come to Haridwar and neighbouring Rishikesh to collect the waters of the holy river during Kanwar Yatra.
All arrangements have been made for the yatra and police are committed for making it a success, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said.
"All activities have been opened up. The Char Dham Yatra is also going on. There are no restrictions anywhere. We think people should take necessary precautions themselves and participate in the pilgrimage," the DGP said.
He also appealed to devotees to register on policecitizenportal.uk.in/Kanwar for their own convenience although it is not mandatory.
In view of a large crowd of devotees expected to throng the two pilgrimage towns, strict vigil is being maintained through CCTV cameras, drones and monitoring of the social media. (with Agency inputs)