Local police told the media on Monday that a group of Kanwar pilgrims assaulted the occupants of a car and damaged the vehicle on the Haridwar-Delhi national highway. This happened when the pilgrims alleged that their ‘kanwar,’ which are pitchers with water from River Ganga dipped in their car, were contaminated for having come in contact with the car.
Kanwars are pots containing water from the Ganga, which hang on an attractive bamboo stick and rest on the center of a kanwariya’s two shoulders. The sanctified water is taken back home to offer to Lord Shiva. This ritual is followed during the Kanwar Yatra, which commenced on the onset of Sawan (Shravan) month and will end on the 1st of August.
The police sources added that while the pilgrims claimed to have been trying to touch the car and offer the kanwar, no devotee has come forward to say whether their kanwar touched the car. Circle Officer Raju Kumar Sab said that the damaged vehicle had been seized, and further processing was being done to identify the driver and all those persons who were present in the vehicle at that time. The police are also currently analyzing CCTV footage in the area to get even more leads.
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage, the performers of which trek for dozens of kilometres to fetch water from the Ganga. Interestingly, it has also been accompanied by certain conflicts and disturbances, as in the case described here. The police force is fully engaged to prevent any mishap and maintain law and order during the yatra for all the travelers on the highway.
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