Myriad are the ways the kanwariyas decorate their kanwars and cart kanwar vehicles. If some paste pictures of deities others offer currency notes on their pitchers. However, a great many are being seen driven by the fervour of patriotism holding the Indian flag while marching along the highway.
Har-ki-Pauri is now seeing a riot of tri-colours. The usual saffron colour ruling the brigade of Kanwariyas, they are adding two more colours this time - white and green - to give a patriotic hue to the religious extravaganza.
At the same time, the ghat is reverberating with intermingled chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Bol Bum, Bum Bum’.
Inquisitive, as the correspondent approached a Kanwariya walking along the Nehar Patri Marg, his back hunched due to five pots of Ganga jal slung from his shoulders balanced with bamboo stick. Ram Babu from Pundri in Haryana, said, “It is only in India that the government supports us to undertake such mass pilgrimages. It is thus in gratitude that we carry the Indian flags in our Kanwar. The burden is nothing. It is one of love and devotion for the divine. I would pour the water on the divine linga at the temple of my native place.”
The head of the group of Kanwariyas was found clearing the way by waving the national flag whenever the Kanwars were moving past a crossing leading to the highway.
Another Kanwariya from Gujarat averred that every Hindu must chant ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’. “The message must be spread across the country. And this is an ideal occasion,” he insisted.