Here's how UP govt turned Kanwar Yatra into high-tech spiritual operation

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government mounted a massive, technology-driven effort this year to ensure that the annual Kanwar Yatra passed off seamlessly and safely.

The arrangements this year marked a major deployment of tech and manpower in a religious event since the Maha Kumbh held earlier in Prayagraj.

The Yogi Adityanath-led administration turned the month-long pilgrimage into a coordinated model of "service and security", with digital surveillance, traffic control, public health services and emergency-response teams all working in sync across the state.

Held every year during the Hindu holy month of Shravan, the Kanwar Yatra sees lakhs of Shiva devotees, ”called Kanwariyas, travel on foot, often covering hundreds of kilometres, to collect sacred water from the Ganga and offer it at local Shiva temples.

The event is a spectacular convergence of faith and endurance, deeply rooted in India's Sanatan traditions. With Wednesday marking the Shivratri of Shravan, the yatra reached its crescendo even though the pilgrims would continue to visit Shiva temples for some more time till the culmination of the auspicious Hindu month.

According to officials, this year's elaborate planning includes the deployment of over 29,000 CCTV cameras, 395 high-tech drones, 587 officers, 13,520 sub-inspectors and nearly 40,000 constables. A dedicated Social Media Monitoring Cell was also activated to respond swiftly to any concerns raised by devotees or citizens.

"The Kanwar Yatra is underway. Every person, from the working class to the upper class, is connected with this campaign. It is a remarkable confluence of unity. There is no discrimination, no difference of caste, region, class, faith, or community. Everyone chants 'Har-Har Bam-Bam' as they walk. They travel 300-400 kilometres on foot, carry the sacred water on their shoulders and return with the same devotion," said Chief Minister Adityanath, who also conducted an aerial survey of the routes in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar, showering petals from a helicopter in a symbolic gesture of reverence.

From modern control rooms and drones to ATS personnel, RAF teams and Quick Response Teams (QRTs), the state machinery has been operating around the clock to monitor the pilgrimage.

The pilgrimage particularly sees surging crowds on Mondays -- the day specially devoted to Lord Shiva, with authorities focussing on the management of lakhs of devotees at prominent temples.

DIG, Varanasi Range, Vaibhav Krishna said, "Technology has played an important role in managing Kanwar Yatra in eastern Uttar Pradesh districts like Chandauli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur also." "We have used technology to streamline various aspects like advance estimation of crowd and quick response during this Kanwar Yatra," Krishna, who also served as the DIG, Maha Kumbh, told PTI.

In western Uttar Pradesh, Kalanidhi Naithani, DIG, Meerut Range, said, "The government, administration and police have issued various directives to ensure that this festival is safe and smooth. On one hand, the administration is busy with preparations -- cleaning roads and temples, arranging medical camps -- and on the other hand, fire service personnel are continuously deployed for fire safety."

"Surveillance is also being conducted using drones and CCTV cameras. The route from Prayagraj to Varanasi has been made one-way for traffic management. One lane on this route is exclusively designated for Kanwar devotees, with the movement of other travellers restricted," said Kuldeep Singh Gunawat, DCP, Prayagraj.

Along the pilgrimage corridors, dedicated Kanwar routes have been marked, help desks and relief centres established, and welcome gates set up to receive the devotees. The spiritual journey has also been enhanced by designated selfie points and cleanliness drives at major congregation points.

Healthcare was another pillar of the state's Kanwar plan. The government had set up 24x7 medical camps along major routes, staffed with trained personnel and stocked with essential supplies.

"Special arrangements have been made wherever the crowd is large. The main problem faced by the Kanwariyas is blisters and pain in their feet. Special provisions have been made for this as well. Additionally, each camp is stocked with 55 medicines, including anti-snake venom, ARV vaccine, and anti-diarrheal drugs. Our entire staff remains present at these camps 24 hours a day," said Dr Sunil Tewatia, Chief Medical Officer, Muzaffarnagar.

For many devotees, the arrangements made the tough journey more comfortable.

"I sincerely thank Yogi Adityanath for providing us with such excellent arrangements here. Whether it is accommodation or other facilities, everything has been very well organised," said Umesh Kumar Maurya, a Kanwariya.

"This time, the grand arrangements made for the Kanwariyas in Banaras -- whether it is the administrative management of travel routes or the facilities at Baba's place in the fair area -- have never been seen before.

All this has been made possible by the vision and determination of Yogiji," said Prabhat Ojha, another devotee.

Officials say efforts will be in full swing till the last Kanwariya safely reaches his destination.