Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 21 Jul: Haridwar is witnessing an extraordinary influx of devotees as the Kanwar Mela 2025 enters its concluding phase, with only two days remaining before Sawan Shivratri. The holy city appears like a sea of saffron as a massive number of Dak Kanwariyas, many of whom arrive on bikes and scooters, continue to collect sacred Ganga water and embark on their return journeys to their respective Shiva temples. Despite persistent rainfall since early morning, the devotees were seen through the day today thronging Haridwar, undeterred by the weather or logistical challenges.
Parking areas throughout Haridwar, from Bairagi Camp to the two-wheeler zones near Har Ki Pauri, were filled to capacity by the afternoon. The district administration is striving to vacate the parking zones around Har Ki Pauri by 23 July and to ensure the complete cleaning of the mela area by 31 July.
Fortunately, due to better arrangements, the flow of Dak Kanwariyas did not lead to any significant traffic congestion within the city today, thanks to effective planning and coordination by the authorities.
According to administrative estimates, nearly 3.5 crore Kanwariyas have visited Haridwar to fetch Ganga water, and this count continues to grow. To mitigate disruption for local residents, Kanwar pilgrims are being kept away from the main residential zones of the city. However, officials anticipate that the last two days leading to Shivratri will present the most formidable challenges, both for crowd control and highway management. Experience from previous years suggests that the final stretch typically sees a dramatic rise in Dak Kanwar pilgrims, often resulting in snarls on the highways, a pattern that appears to be repeating itself this year.
Despite unrelenting showers, the spiritual fervour in Haridwar was visibly unshaken. Devotees were seen proceeding along the roads bearing saffron flags, and many have already commenced their homeward journeys after collecting the sacred water. With Maha Shivratri falling on 23 July, there is a palpable urgency among the pilgrims to reach their destinations in time to make the ritual offering of water at Shiva temples. As such, the remaining days of the pilgrimage are marked by heightened activity and a noticeable uptick in vehicular movement.
Minor traffic snarls are being handled with agility on major highways, and the police remain focused on maintaining uninterrupted flow of traffic. The aim is to ensure that no prolonged congestion takes place and that pilgrims can proceed smoothly without delays.
Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit today expressed satisfaction over the overall progress of the Kanwar Mela so far. He noted that despite the continuous rainfall since the previous night, all preparations for the concluding days of the mela have been thoroughly implemented. Continuous announcements are being broadcast at the ghats to guide devotees. Personnel from UPCL along with other essential departments have been stationed across key locations to avert any potential difficulties for pilgrims and Kanwariyas.
