Kanwars, Metamorphosis

Ramnaresh from Kanahiya Durlapur village, Pratapgarh, says once they reach the towns, they turn anarchic. They climb on top of private vehicles, block roads, eat free from roadside shops, and forcibly hitch free rides. Anti-Muslim sentiments are whipped upwhen the yatras pass though Muslim areas. The yatra becomes an exercise in communal polarization.

By B Sivaraman

Kanwar Yatras, the common sight of Saffron-clad youth marching with bamboo poles on their shoulders with pots hanging at either end, known as Kanwars, meant to fetch water from the Ganges, came to an end on July 23, 2025. However, the aftermath of the yatra almost always leaves a bitter taste, especially among the people in the areas it crosses – while filth, garbage and excreta is left to rot in a huge area.

Most of these yatras head towards the Shiva temple in Haridwar in Uttarakhand, and, in a few cases, to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi or Vaidyanath Dham in Jharkhand. These yatras used to be a pious religious exercise earlier, especially for large number of the hardworking poor, men and women, walking barefoot for long distances, to pray, seek blessings of Shiva, and ask for the fulfillment of their wishes. But, of late, they are becoming ‘Hooligan Yatras’ in many places, a public nuisance, and are turning into a political event as well.

It seems, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has become the chief political patron of these Kanwar Yatras. His government banned the sale of non-vegetarian food along the main Kanwar Yatra routes. To prevent Muslim owners of some eateries selling food to the Kanwars, the administration ordered that the owners of every eatery should display the name of the owner. 

Growing Hooliganism

When these yatras met with increasing public criticism, thanks to their growing hooliganism, Yogi first openly condemned the critics as those who are against the rich heritage of Indians. “Those who are defaming the yatras will face action,” he warned. 

Within a short period of 13 days, since it began on July 11, there have been at least 20 incidents of violence, vandalism and looting by the ‘Kanwararias’. Since these violent incidents and acts of hooliganism met with widespread media criticism and even criticism by some leaders of the Samajwadi Party, an embarrassed Yogi changed his tack slightly and appealed to the Kanwarias not to carry arms or hockey sticks. In the same vein, he also assured them full protection.

Why do the rural youth undertake this annual yatra and what do they experience through them?

Umesh Kumar Tripathi from Jaisama village in Lalgopalganj, UP, who is currently marching for the third year, said, “People who face severe problems in their lives and who have some expectations that Lord Shiva would help them, undertake this yatra. Since most of the peasant youth from OBC background and SC labourers face the worst hardships, it is these youth who comprise an overwhelming majority of yatris. Most of them are unemployed, and believe that if they undertake these yatras, praying for good jobs, they would indeed get them. People may have some other wishes too. The yatra is considered an exertion in sacrifice and endurance for the sake of Lord Shiva. Earlier, hardly around 5–10 people from each village used to undertake Kanwar Yatra. But, these days, hundreds of young men, and even women, set out on this in batches. Yes, Kanwar Yatras have become a huge mass phenomenon since 2000.”

“To go to Haridwar, each of them spends at least Rs 4,000 to Rs 5000, and for relatively shorter distances, to Varanasi, Jharkhand, or to Phaphamau on the outskirts of Prayagraj, they spend at least Rs 2000 each. A set of saffron t-shirst and shorts cost Rs 800 onwards, and the bamboo pole with vessels costs another Rs 800. Costlier designer poles with coloured cloth and sequins are sold for Rs 1500–2000,” he added.

“We have no protection from the hot sun or heavy rains. We usually sleep in temples, tents and other community centres on the way and no separate arrangements have been made for this by the government. If we fall sick on the way, we take treatment from some doctor’s clinic in the towns. The administration has not arranged ambulances for us,” he added.

The lumpen turn

Sikandar Goud, former pradhan of Jogia Janubi Patti village of Kushinagar district in UP said: “Kanwar yatras used to be very pious and disciplined affairs earlier. But, now, a section of the them are resorting to vandalism in towns, and the yatra is degenerating into a lumpen activity. The yatris are supposed to observe strict abstinence during the journey, and avoid non-vegetarian food, sex, liquor, drugs, and smoke. However, many of them ‘take license’ and consume liquor and ganja. They justify this by arguing that even Lord Shiva used to take liquor, bhang, and smoke ganja. There is a general tendency for lumpenisation among a section of underemployed peasant youth in the villages and that is reflecting among the yatris also.”

Is this activity giving them some kind of new identity and a sense of power?

Anubhav Rai from the same village argues that these yatras are an expression of distress. The price rise and high cost of private education and healthcare, on which the villagers depend, are a big burden. Many are indebted. A crop failure would cripple them financially. These are undertaken immediately after the sowing is done. There won’t be much work in agriculture for the next few weeks.

Do these yatris truly believe this journeys would help them get over these woes?

One never knows!

Sanjay, from the same village, points out that these yatras have now become purely a political affair. “Yogi is creating an impression that his government is all in favour of these yatras. They find it convenient if the rural youth are busy conducting them. The government need not provide them jobs. Though, it is mostly the youth from OBC and SC communities that participates in it, each batch is led by an organiser or leader who is invariably from an upper caste and who is linked with BJP. They use these yatras for their political mobilization.”

Ramnaresh from Kanahiya Durlapur village, Pratapgarh, says once they reach the towns, they turn anarchic. They climb on top of private vehicles, block roads, eat free from roadside shops, bully others on the streets, and forcibly hitch free rides. Anti-Muslim sentiments are whipped up by upper caste organizers, who are aligned with Hindutva political forces, when the yatras pass though Muslim areas. “This becomes an exercise in communal polarization.”

Renu Shukla, the leader of the state-level association of anganwadi workers, argues that a class divide runs through the mythological tradition surrounding Kanwar Yatras. “Historically, the elite from the Vaishnav dharma looked down upon Shiva as a lesser God, a bohemian, taking bhang and ganja, his body smeared with ash, keeping unkempt hair and wearing animal skin. So, in their view, its seems, Shiva remains the God of the lower castes…

“…These castes are asserting now because of improved social standing. And, for electoral reasons, BJP wants to woo these sections, despite its own upper caste character. Hence, the promise for all kinds of facilities for the yatris. Flowers are being showered on them from helicopters, drinking is overlooked as only meat is banned en route and not alcohol; lumpen behavior is not punished, and food, water, tea are supplied all along the way through private agencies working with the government. After the loan-waiver to kisans and free electricity, Yogi wants to consolidate his hold over rural Uttar Pradesh through his outreach to the rural youth.”

However, politically, to what extent would state support to Kanwar Yatras deflect peasant anger from universal and relentless agrarian distress, and mass unemployment, remains to be seen.

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B Sivaraman is an analyst and commentator based in Prayagraj, UP. He is former editor, ‘Liberation’, the official mouthpiece of the CPI-ML (Liberation).