Several states across the northern belt of India are gearing up for the Kanwar Yatra, which is scheduled to be held from July 14-26 this year. In Bihar, 11 information centres have been planned by the state tourism department at different places en route – from Sultanganj to the Bihar-Jharkhand border – for the convenience of pilgrims headed to Deoghar temple in Jharkhand during the ‘Shravan’ season of the Hindu calendar.
The information centres will remain open for 24 hours to guide pilgrims for road transportation facilities, and also extend help in case of any emergency.
Besides that, 20 mobile toilets will be made available during the festival, while transport facilities will be available at 16 points on the route; pre-recorded messages and live announcements will also be done regarding the route to the Deoghar temple, facilities on ‘Kanwariya Path’ and cleanliness.
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A tent city, with the capacity to accommodate 500 pilgrims at a time, will also be set up at Abrakha in Banka district. The tent city will have all basic amenities, such as stands for the pilgrims, mobile charging points, garbage disposal points, LED screens and a VIP lounge. Special care has been taken of the safety and security of the pilgrims and close circuit television cameras will be installed at all entrances.
The yatra in Bihar begins at Sultanganj where pilgrims fill ‘kanwars’ with water from the holy Ganga river. Nearly 10 lakh devotees participate in this ritual every year.
“Importantly, the yatra has been planned after a gap of two years. It was not allowed in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. So, the mood is high among people and we are also making elaborate arrangements for their convenience,” state tourism minister Narayan Prasad said.
Santosh Kumar Mall, principal secretary of state tourism, said that a mobile app on to the facitlites for the yatra will also be launched soon. “Pilgrims will be able to book rooms at the tent city through this app,” he said.
Sites identified for tourist information centres are Sultanganj railway station, Sultanganj Ghat, Sultanganj bus stand, Ghanti Belari, Kumarsar, Dhauri, Suia, Abrakha Katoria, Inarvan, and Dumma.
The sites where the state tourism to arrange transport facilities are Ajgaibinath, Bhagalpur, Sultanganj, Dhani Belari,Munger,, Jilebia in Banka, Shivalok temple, Thankeshwar.,Suiyya hills and Chihutjor.
