Rs 1,000 crore boost: The economic impact of Kanwar Yatra

The Kanwar Yatra sees devotees transporting Ganga water from Haridwar in Uttarakhand or Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to their hometowns.

The Kanwar Yatra, beginning on Monday, marks the start of the Hindu month of Shravan. This annual pilgrimage, expected to attract over three crores (30 million) Shiv devotees this year, is not just a religious event but also a significant economic catalyst for the regions it traverses.

Participants, known as kanwariyas, take various routes through Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi to reach their destinations. They spend considerable amounts of money, benefiting thousands of local businesses including eateries, clothes sellers, fruit vendors, and pitcher sellers.

Though there is no formal study on the expenses incurred by the kanwariyas, rough estimates suggest the one-month yatra generates business worth around Rs 1,000 crore around the Kanwar route.

"The economic boost includes spending by kanwariyas and earnings made by eateries and food sellers along the 240 km-long Yatra route. Kanwariyas spend on clothes, pitchers or cans for carrying Ganga Jal, and food and beverages," said Nomita P Kumar from the Giri Institute of Development Studies in Lucknow.

It is estimated that a Kanwar spends something between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 during the Yatra. Some Kanwariyas travel on their bikes, cars, or tractor trolleys, which also give good business to petrol pumps along the route.

The Kanwar Yatra sees devotees transporting Ganga water from Haridwar in Uttarakhand or Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to their hometowns. Participants, mostly men dressed in saffron, carry pots of plastic, brass, or steel filled with holy water. They cover several hundred kilometers, spending days at roadside camps, visiting eateries, and staying in dhabas before concluding their journey.

Eateries thrive during Kanwar Yatra

Thousands of eateries, clothes sellers, fruit vendors, pitcher (Kanwar) sellers, and other shopkeepers benefit significantly from the Kanwar Yatra each year. As kanwariyas cover hundreds of kilometers, often on foot, they stop at roadside camps, eateries, and dhabas before reaching their native places.

Vishwajit Chaudhary, owner of Shiva Tourist Punjabi Dhaba, said that eateries earn twice as much during the yatra compared to other days. “We usually do business of Rs 2 lakh a month on normal days. But during the Kanwar Yatra, the heavy influx of kanwariyas boosts our business, and we earn much more than usual,” he said.

The business during Kanwar Yatra is so lucrative that some Muslim dhaba owners have temporarily handed over operations to Hindu employees, while others have laid off their Muslim workers. Gulzar, a dhaba owner in Khatauli, has handed over operations to Laxman Singh from Mathedi for a month to avoid any trouble.

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“We wait the whole year for Kanwar Yatra to serve kanwariyas and make some money. During this period, I even avoided eating garlic and onion and served kanwariyas with full devotion. But this order put me in a fix. I had two options – either close my dhaba or hand over operations to a Hindu employee. I opted for the latter,” he said.

Not only dhaba owners but also daily wage earners make money during the yatra. Brijesh Pal, a daily wage laborer, works at a roadside dhaba in Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar during the two months of Shravan. He earns 400-600 rupees a day and receives at least two meals a day. “On normal days, I work as a menial laborer, but Shravan gives me an opportunity to earn good money,” he said.

Government preparations

The government has made elaborate arrangements for the yatra, including renovating roads, constructing culverts, and ensuring cleanliness. "The Public Works Department, Irrigation Department, and Urban Development Department have been directed to repair all roads related to the yatra in every district. Continuous cleaning of the Kanwar Yatra route will be conducted throughout the month," a government spokesman said.

Special measures include regular spraying of bleaching powder, malathion dust, and lime, anti-larvae spraying, fogging in camp areas, and sanitizing community toilets twice daily. "During the holy month of Shravan, all urban bodies in the state must remain alert and active," principal secretary Amrit Abhisar said.

Street lights along the route will be repaired and maintained, and a continuous power supply will be ensured in the Kanwar Yatra and camp areas. The government has also launched a campaign against the use of prohibited plastic carry bags and thermocol disposable products.

The government has made a budgetary allocation for Kanwar Yatra, and the total allocation is around Rs 100 crore. This also includes an expenditure of Rs 20 lakh for hiring choppers who shower rose petals over the kanwaraias and to ensure a smooth and safe pilgrimage.

The Kanwar Yatra not only serves as a spiritual journey for millions but also significantly boosts the local economy, providing a much-needed financial uplift to numerous small businesses and workers along its path.