In a curious decision, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the pruning of fig trees along the route of the upcoming Kanwar Yatra. The government has argued that the trees are considered “inauspicious” by the devotees.
Instructions were given by Mr. Adityanath himself on Thursday evening during a high-level meeting with senior administrative and police officials, a government spokesperson said. This was the also the first time that a review meeting for the Kanwar Yatra was held at the chief ministerial level. Officials from Uttarakhand were also present in the meeting.
Mr. Adityanath has also instructed officials to install CCTV cameras in sensitive areas falling along the route of the yatra. Communal clashes and violence have been reported in the past.
He has also asked officials to inform the Kanwariyas of dos and don’ts of the yatra, including adherance to the permissible decibel level, following norms laid down by the Supreme Court. The devotees have also been asked to avoid playing songs that are “filmy, vulgar or provocative.”
Officials have also been asked to publicize the yatra through the media.
The Kanwar Yatra commences in the Hindu calendar month of Shrawan, coinciding with the monsoon. Thousands of devotees of Lord Shiva, dressed in saffron robes, walk miles to collect ‘holy water’ from the Ganges.
