Women devotees are participating in the Kanwar Yatra in increasing numbers this Sawan month, with many carrying holy water from the Ganga and Yamuna in Prayagraj to offer at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and other Shiva temples. The district administration has put in place special arrangements for their safety and convenience at ghats, along the pilgrimage route and at rest camps.
The highest number of women Kanwariyas are collecting holy water from Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Sangam before setting out for Kashi. To facilitate their journey, changing rooms, women toilets, women help centres and dedicated security arrangements have been set up at major ghats, informed district officials.
District magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said women police personnel have been deployed at the Sangam and other key ghats, while 44 ‘Aapda Sakhis’ associated with the livelihood mission are assisting women pilgrims. Women police personnel and volunteers have also been stationed at key points along the Kanwar route between Prayagraj and Varanasi. Security has also been strengthened at major Shiva temples, including Mankameshwar, Someshwar Mahadev and Brahmeshwar Mahadev, he added.
Officials said elaborate arrangements have been made across Kanwar routes, camps and community kitchens to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the pilgrimage in line with government directives.
The growing participation of women reflects a visible shift in the traditional pilgrimage, with devotees from villages and small towns joining the yatra in large numbers.
Nidhi, 38, a devotee from Bharwari who collected Ganga water from Dashashwamedh Ghat before leaving for Kashi, said women now feel safe undertaking the pilgrimage, and several women from her area are participating this year.
Meera Devi, 62, of Sadiyapur, who began her Kanwar Yatra to Baidyanath Dham with eight family members, said three generations of her family—including her daughters-in-law, daughter and three granddaughters—were travelling together. She said improved security, dedicated rest camps and better facilities along the route had encouraged more women to undertake the pilgrimage collectively while singing devotional songs and bhajans.
