The states will not be allowed to hold the annual Kanwar Yatra this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and arrangements will be made for providing Ganga water by tankers at specified places, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Friday. This comes days after the Uttar Pradesh government decided to go ahead with the yatra and Uttarakhand cancelled it.

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The top court, which took up the matter suo motu, said, “the right to life is paramount and all kinds of sentiments are subservient to Article 21 of Constitution,” reports PTI. This observation came after the Uttar Pradesh government said that a ‘symbolic’ yatra will be held.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over its decision to allow the Kanwar Yatra.

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The Centre then asked the Centre to make arrangements for Ganga water tankers. “This is an age-old custom and considering religious sentiments, states must develop a system to make holy Gangajal available through tankers. States must ensure distribution of Gangajal amongst devotees should follow social distancing, adhering to all protocols,” it said.

The court added that people were “perplexed” by the UP government alloweing the yatra at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and medical experts had warned against large gatherings, and urged people to follow social distancing. India is still reeling under the impact of the deadly second wave of COVID that left more than one lakh people dead. And the authorities are also bracing for the possible third wave.

 The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage held in the Hindu calendar month of Shravana. Devotees of lord Shiva generally walk bare feet with pitchers of holy water from the Ganga or other holy rivers. The water is taken from pilgrimage sites such as Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand, Sultanganj in Bihar, and Prayagraj, Ayodhya or Varanasi from Uttar Pradesh.

The water is used by the devotees to worship Shiva lingas at prominent temples.