Kanwar Yatra should become festival of social responsibility, service: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged people to make the annual Kanwar Yatra a festival of social responsibility service and cooperation saying the pilgrimage is not merely a religious ritual but also a living expression of social harmony discipline and Indiarsquos cultural traditionsIn a message to the people of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi said some journeys in Indian tradition go beyond religious observances and become ldquoa living school of society culture discipline and public liferdquo He described the Kanwar Yatra held during the holy month of Shravan as one such unique tradition that brings crores of devotees together through their devotion to Lord ShivaldquoIn this journey every Shiva devotee has one identity Kanwariyardquo the chief minister said referring to the saffron attire the kanwar carried on the shoulder and the unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva that unite the pilgrims He said their walking pace may differ but their destination remains the same offering holy water to MahadevHe said distinctions of caste class language region and economic status become secondary during the pilgrimage ldquoKanwar Yatra is a great festival of harmony and a living example of the principle of equality in Sanatan culturerdquo he saidReferring to the traditional belief associated with the pilgrimage the chief minister said Lord Shiva consumed the deadly poison during the churning of the cosmic ocean to protect creation and came to be known as Neelkanth To soothe the heat of the poison the gods performed his abhishek with Ganga water he said adding that the tradition of offering Ganga water during Shravan has since been regarded as particularly sacredThe Kanwar Yatra CM Yogi said carries messages of austerity service selfrestraint and mutual cooperation ldquoAusterity strengthens character service improves society and unity makes the nation strongerrdquo he saidThe chief minister also expressed admiration for devotees including persons with disabilities who undertake the arduous pilgrimage without being deterred by difficulties Their unwavering faith and dedication he said are the greatest strengths of the Kanwar YatraHe said the state government is committed to ensuring that every devotee completes the journey safely and with dignity Arrangements include floral showers to welcome Kanwariyas cleanliness along the routes organised camps safe drinking water medical assistance toilets lighting traffic management and continuous monitoring through control roomsAdityanath appealed to people to turn the pilgrimage into an occasion for social responsibility and service He urged devotees to adopt environmentfriendly kanwars and take a pledge to live free of plastic He also appealed to people to give priority to ambulances and school vehicles travelling along the routes ldquoOur small act of alertness can become great assistance for someonerdquo he saidldquoThe government is committed to your convenience and safety but maintaining the dignity of this sacred tradition is the responsibility of all of usrdquo CM Yogi said adding that faith discipline restraint and service constitute the soul of the Kanwar Yatra and reflect Lord Shivarsquos message of public welfareThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever