Prayagraj: After fetching holy water from the Ganga at Dashaswamedh Ghat and performing rituals, Kunti Devi, a teacher at a private school in Kaushambi, doesn’t forget to share her video and photograph with her family through her mobile phone, travelling from Sangam City to Varanasi to offer Jalabhishek during the ongoing Shrawan month. Groups of women kanwariyas, armed with modern gadgets, are connecting with their family and loved ones during their pilgrimage. Safety and hygiene continue to be among the top concerns for women kanwariyas as they undertake the yatra. With decorated kanwars slung over their shoulders, the saffron or yellow-coloured saree, barefoot women kanwariyas are assembling from all neighbouring districts at Ganga ghats, following their journey of fetching holy water from the Ganga during Shrawan.After taking a rest for an hour, Kunti, along with co-kanwariyas, gets ready to walk 120 km with the kanwar. She praised the state govt’s initiatives to offer adequate facilities to kanwariyas and said, “I have been sharing my trip with my relatives, friends, and others. It’s a different experience, and we are capturing every moment of the pilgrimage,” said Sunita, another woman kanwariya. Noted religious scholar Dr Amitabh Gour says, “More women devotees with rural backgrounds are coming forward and performing yatra.” Shedding the old ritual of undertaking the journey barefoot and surviving on minimal resources, kanwariyas have also undergone a modern makeover. “We are well connected with family and friends,” said Rohan, a kanwariya. “Who knows when we will undertake such an adventurous journey again,” said another kanwariya Aragam. Likewise, there are many coming to Prayagraj who have almost completed their yatra by train.
