Haridwar News: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed Shiva devotees by washing their feet in Haridwar on Saturday, two days after showering flowers on Kanwariyas by helicopter. In a program organized at Ganga Ghat near Damkothi in Haridwar, the Chief Minister welcomed the Kavadis who came to Uttarakhand to collect Ganga water from different states by washing their feet. On this occasion, he presented Gangajal to the Kanwaris as a mark of respect. According to a government release issued here, the Chief Minister said on the occasion that due to the special blessings of Mother Ganga and Lord Bholenath on Haridwar, it is the center of reverence for the whole country and the Kanwar Yatra held here in the month of Shravan has special significance.
Describing the reception of Kanwariyas as a matter of good luck for the state government, he said that it is a work of virtue. He said that the state government has made adequate arrangements for health camps, toilets, parking, teen sheds, rest places etc. at various places for Kavad Yatra and this year arrangements have been substantially improved as compared to last year. The Chief Minister said that last year about four crore Kanwariyas had come to Uttarakhand and this year the number is expected to increase further. With the beginning of the month of Shravan on July 4, the Kanwar Yatra has started and will continue for about a fortnight.
In Haridwar district, holiday has been declared from 10th July to 17th July in all the schools in view of increasing crowd of Shiv devotees due to Kanwar Yatra. In the orders issued by the District Magistrate of Haridwar, Dheeraj Singh Gabryal, it has been said that in view of the problems faced by the students in commuting, all government and non-government schools in the district will have a holiday till Somvati Amavasya on July 17.
