New Delhi
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The bucket of holy water over his shoulder was a group of millions of Hindu followers walking for days.
The water scooped up from the sacred river Ganges is doomed to the local temple of pilgrims. And precious cargo must be handled delicately. Spilling a drop or touching someone else before you get home will cancel your devotion.
Destroying a weary journey, the followers gather for an outbreak of luxury joy. Devotion, ganja and alcohol-fueled earthly music and dance, as the festival is worthy of Shiva, the Shiva, the dedicated Hindu god.
This is the Kanwar Yatra festival, which draws tens of millions of people onto the roads of North India every year. In recent years it has been rowing loudly and is increasingly tied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist politics.
The air was thickened with marijuana and music in the tent along the route. The followers sipped vans, a cannabis preparation containing milk and other fruits, and invaded the dance.
As the monsoon rain went outside, Pankaji, the driver of the auto-rickshaw in New Delhi, led the dance he had performed under one name. He said this was to perform his 21st ritual.
“I get lost in the town of Ball Baba (Lord Shiva), which always slips into a trance,” he told CNN.
“He (Shiva) has assured us that we are peacefully making the whole journey, dancing, praying and enjoying. He makes sure we are happy.”
Vans will help too, he said.
The condiment is a “religious offering,” he said. “The van is something that all believers share with each other. We drink and let others drink.”
In Delhi, several of the millions of followers are seen, with holy water balanced in buckets or containers hanging from either ends of the Kanwar pole that names the festival.
Along the road, the tracks, loaded with giant speakers, played thrilling religious music set in bass-heavy beats, shaking the ground.
Former security guard Aarti Kumar, 21, was on his way back to his hometown with a friend. She said they have walked 280 kilometers (175 miles) so far on sacred cargo.
“We look forward to providing holy water and completing the pilgrimage. We are excitedly waiting for it, hoping that our days of hard work will be rewarded.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dami said the state witnessed a “unprecedented confluence of faith and order” and that over 45 million followers visited to steal the sacred waters of the Ganges River.
However, each step can write about the disaster of prayer. If holy water runs out or falls to the ground, or if the follower makes physical contact with another person, the water becomes impure and the ritual is confiscated.
Kumar said he saw one man with the water fallen. “He broke with tears and I cried when I saw him,” she said.
Water is intended to provide spiritual relief, such as being shown by God or purifying the soul of the sin of the believer.
“The followers will hold this water close to their hearts and regain it with such attention and warmth. So it is heartbreaking when it falls and becomes impure.”
The tension of challenge can create a flammable atmosphere around a follower, almost every young male, as drugs and alcohol are being taken.
Kanwar Yatra passes through northern states that form the basis of Modi’s support for the Hindu nationalist government.
Recent pilgrimages have been undermined by reports of violence against authorities, and tensions have risen as crowds pass through Muslim areas.
This year, authorities in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have banned their followers from carrying swords and holy stalwarts associated with Shiva due to fear of violence through the Ganges run.
They also required restaurants along the journey to display the owner’s name and details via QR codes. Critics say displaying these details might encourage people to observe the festival to boycott stores owned by someone of another faith.
On July 14, local media reported that a group of followers had destroyed a restaurant in Meerapur, Uttar Pradesh, claiming that the Muslim owners were not showing their identity as required by the local government.
A few days ago, members of the state legislature were clearly having problems with their own hands. A video posted online is said to have shown that Nandkishore Gurja has closed a butcher shop in the town of Roni.
“This is (the pilgrimage route),” he heard the man scream on the video. “Meat shops cannot be opened here.”
Authorities also reluctant to intervene when their followers run Amok, businessman Denmark Khan said.
“These kanwars act like they are the owners of the state and country’s highways, dance with lots of DJs, and sometimes get drunk and get drunk. The police often just give them free hands,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanas appealed to his followers to take responsibility for the lawsuit.
“Some elements work constantly to disrupt the faith and dedication of this pilgrimage,” he told a news conference. “They do this through postings on social media and other ways. These elements are trying to slander the pilgrimage.”
Another complaint is that social media has transformed the festival into just another opportunity for self-promotion.
“Before social media, no one was competing on the amount of water they brought home, the size of their DJs, the size of their music, and the speed of their pilgrimage,” Delhi entrepreneur Sandy N told CNN.
“Now, everything’s on the gimmick and it’s done irresponsible,” said the 50-year-old.
But for the majority, this journey is still a way to find peace.
In one of the tents established for the capital’s followers, workers Ankit Gupta served plates and food in anticipation of the arrival of the next group of pilgrims.
“This is our dedication to Lord Shiva… tomorrow will come to an end,” he said calmly.
“It’s a break from the busy lives we live in.
