Kanwar Yatra: The Reawakening of an Inclusive Hindu Society

Acharya Dr Vikramaditya has describes the Kanwar Yatra as a platform where caste and social identities become less visible during collective worship. The article links growing participation by different communities with wider cultural and administrative changes in Uttar Pradesh.

Close your eyes and absorb the sight of groups of Kanwariyas setting out with the sacred resolve of offering holy water to Lord Shiva. You will witness the same stream of faith and devotion that is visible at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, in the temple complex of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, in the courtyard of the Banke Bihari Temple, and along the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. Today, the Kanwar routes present a living spectacle of the internal harmony, inclusiveness, and cultural renaissance of Hindu society. Centuries-old social barriers and inequalities seem to have dissolved in the sacred waters of faith. Among the Kanwariyas are Brahmins, Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis alike. The Kanwar resting on one’s shoulder does not ask about caste. Community kitchens along the route do not distribute prasad only after verifying a person’s lineage or clan. The Kanwar Yatra is a living map of India’s social consciousness, and Uttar Pradesh stands as its foremost representative. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state has emerged as a symbol of the reawakening of an inclusive Hindu society.

Thinkers who interpret Hindutva from a socio-cultural perspective regard the Kanwar Yatra as evidence of the intrinsic inclusiveness of Hindu society, citing the growing participation of........

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