The Shravan Kanwar Mela this year saw a staggering 45 million Kanwariyas gather in Haridwar across thirteen days, surpassing previous attendance records and marking a milestone for the revered pilgrimage. Officials from the Kanwar Mela cell noted that this footfall eclipses the 41.4 million recorded last year, with the final count still being updated as pilgrims continued to filter through the holy city on the concluding day.
To commemorate the close of the mela, district magistrate Mayur Dixit and senior superintendent of police Pramendra Dobhal led prayers at the Brahmakund, Har-ki-Pauri, before paying their respects at Shri Daksheshwar Mahadev temple in Kankhal. The top officials credited the collaboration of devotees, authorities, security forces, volunteers and residents for the largely smooth conduct of events, HT reported.
With lakhs of devotees collecting water from the Ganga to offer in their local temples, the festival’s footprint was visible across ghats, highways and marketplaces. Amid concerns about garbage piling up at the ghats, Dixit outlined plans for an intensive three-day cleanliness drive in the mela zone, calling on both visitors and locals to avoid littering.
“Pilgrims and residents must be sensitised against littering. Ganga is our mother and polluting her banks goes against our beliefs,” Mahamandleshwar Swami Harichetnanand of the Bada Udasin Akhada stated, according to the HT report.
Law and order remained a central focus for authorities. The state deployed a force of 3,000 police personnel, 1,350 home guards, 15 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and nine companies of paramilitary forces. Security operations included nine bomb disposal squads, four anti-terror teams, 10 drone operating squads and dedicated jal police units. Monitoring was conducted throughout the festival with a network of drones and CCTV cameras, alongside undercover personnel, mounted units and sniffer dogs, HT reported.
Senior superintendent of police Dobhal attributed the event’s orderly management in part to effective traffic planning, the establishment of special parking zones and rigorous crowd control efforts. He remarked, as reported by HT, that “the Mela force performed commendably with support from volunteers.”
However, the event was not without discord. In the wake of reports of violence and disruption during the yatra, police registered approximately 12 FIRs, arrested 17 individuals and booked 150 unidentified Kanwariyas for acts of hooliganism. Uttarakhand’s director general of police, Deepam Seth, made clear in a statement that any hooliganism in the name of faith “will not be tolerated and dealt with strict action”.
Reflecting a wave of public concern, the Uttarakhand High Court had reportedly requested a detailed report from the police chief and Panchayati Raj secretary on how the state would manage Panchayat elections amid the ongoing mass pilgrimage and challenging monsoon conditions. The intervention followed a public interest litigation seeking a rescheduled poll timetable to accommodate the Kanwar Yatra and safety needs.
As festivities wrapped up, gratitude was extended to the saint community and akhadas for their support. With cleanup drives commencing and continuous evaluation of security responses, authorities remain alert to the complexities such massive annual gatherings bring to Uttarakhand.
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