Women join Kanwar yatra in large numbers, praise safety measures

Women are joining the Kanwar Yatra in large numbers this Sawan month, carrying holy water from the Ganga and Yamuna in Prayagraj to offer at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and other Shiva temples.

District administration has set up changing rooms, women toilets, and help centers at major ghats including Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Sangam.

District magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said women police personnel have been deployed at the Sangam and other key ghats, and 44 'Aapda Sakhis' are assisting women pilgrims.

Security has been strengthened at major Shiva temples, including Mankameshwar, Someshwar Mahadev, and Brahmeshwar Mahadev, along the Kanwar route between Prayagraj and Varanasi.

The growing participation reflects a shift in the traditional pilgrimage, with women from villages and small towns joining in large numbers.