Kanwad Mela in its last phase with just three days left for Shivaratri, the glory of the fair has reached its crescendo. Aside from the fact that the number of the pilgrims keeps spiralling with every passing year, the fair has undergone a transformation over the decades. Not just rural folks but also the urban gentry are embarking on the pilgrimage. Women and children are also pitching in in the pilgrimage too in a large number. The traditional saffron caps adorning their heads stand in contrast with the 4G mobile phones and cameras found sparkling from the items they carry on the pilgrimage. Dak Kanwad that would start fromThursday would further add to the rush.
Patriotic flavour finding its place, many of the Kanwariyas are coming with the tricolour flashing from their carts. This time, over 300- feet- long Kanwad with huge tricolour fluttering from the top proved to a major attraction. They claimed to have spent Rs 2.4 lakh on decorating their Kanwad.
Colour is running riot in the procession of the pilgrims with the pots, meant to carry the holy water of Ganga and the carts carrying the pilgrimage paraphernalia being painted in myriad hues. Many discard their old Kanwads once the rituals of collecting the holy water are over and take up new ones on their way back to the respective places.
Speaking to The Pioneer, one of the Kanwad pilgrims coming from Ramnagar, Bhola said that the blend of nationalism and religious devotion is perfect, given the fact that the Bharat Mata when ideally portrayed embodies spiritualism of its highest order. “Imbuing the pilgrimage with a patriotic fervour is all the more relevant now with our jawans sacrificing their lives on the borders to stop the body of the Bharat Mata getting further mutilated,” he added.