In Uttar Pradesh, the state government has ordered that the names of the owners and phone numbers must be displayed on the name boards of the restaurants on the Kanwar Yatra route. What is the background for this? Let’s see about that.
Kanwar means Prince and Kavadi. In northern states, devotees of Shiva undertake the Kanwar Yatra every year to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva.
Legend has it that Ravana initiated the first Kanwar Yatra. It is said that Ravana carried the Kavadi and brought Ganga water in it and anointed the Shiva Lingam and worshiped it, and this Kanwar Yatra is still going on today.
Shiva devotees carry a bamboo kavadi on both shoulders during the Kanwar Yatra. Two colorful clay pots are attached to either end of the kavadi.
Kanwar Yatra is a month-long festival. Devotees of Shiva, dressed in saffron and barefoot, collect Ganga water from holy places.
After that, they go to their hometown and worship the Shiva lingam there by “anointing” it with Ganga water. This pilgrimage is considered as an expression of gratitude for everything that happens in life.
During the Kanwar Yatra, it is considered very important to ensure that the clay pots in the Kavadi do not fall on the ground.
This year Kanwar Yatra starts on 22nd and ends on Shivaratri on 2nd August.
In this situation, the state government has ordered that the owner’s name and phone numbers must be displayed on the name boards of the restaurants on the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh. Also, an order was issued to write down the names of employees working in hotels and shops.
The law requiring shop owners to write their names on shop name boards came into force only in Muzaffarnagar. The government’s order regarding the Kanwar Yatra has created huge controversies.
The Uttar Pradesh state government had said that the Ordinance was brought in so that customers should be aware of whose business they are buying and that there should be no confusion.
In this case, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government has issued an order to implement this law across the state. Also, the sale of Halal certified food items is prohibited on the Kanwar Yatra routes.
This is a significant step taken by the Uttar Pradesh government to respect and protect the religious sentiments of Shiva devotees who follow strict dietary rules.
What started as a district-level order turned into a state-level order. And it is beyond the border of BJP-ruled Uttarakhand.
Now the owners of restaurants in Harithwar and along Kanwar Yatra routes have also been ordered to put up their names on the shop signs.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Thami has made it clear that this decision was not taken to target anyone, as some people are running restaurants hiding their identity, which is causing conflicts, and this decision has been taken to prevent it.
All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi has welcomed the decision of the Yogi Adityanath government. He also said that Kanwar Yatra is a religious journey and should not be politicized and this order is aimed at preventing conflict between Hindus and Muslims.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed his appreciation for this good decision taken by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi criticized the Yogi government’s decision saying it is an offense against the constitution to create division in society on the basis of caste and religion. He also requested that this order be withdrawn immediately.
Union minister and Lok Jan Shakti Party leader Chirag Paswan has said that we cannot support any division in the name of caste.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has criticized the Uttar Pradesh government’s order as a social crime.
Amid the controversies surrounding the Kanwar Yatra, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath is busy inspecting the routes for the Kanwar Yatra and issuing necessary orders to the authorities regarding facilities and medical services for devotees.
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