“Ghaziabad: Shouldering 101-year-old grandmother and Ganga water, pilgrim undertakes 270km Kanwar Yatra”, Hindustan Times, July 8, 2023:
“Thirty-five-year-old Dev Kumar, a small-time construction contractor, is about to embark on the most momentous journey of his life this Kanwar Yatra. He will cover about 270km by foot from Haridwar to his native village of Dharau in Khurja, carrying both his 101-year-old grandmother Saraswati Devi and an equal weight of Ganga water on his shoulders; his precious cargo placed in baskets tied to either side of a bamboo pole.
Dev on Friday reached Ghaziabad after starting from Haridwar on July 1. This is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by Shiva devotees to carry Ganga water in vessels/cans from Uttarakhand to their home towns in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and others.
“This is my eleventh consecutive Kanwar Yatra and this time, I resolved to carry my grandmother on my shoulders to Haridwar in Uttarakhand so that she can offer prayers there. She weighs about 48 kilos and her seat weighs another 6-7 kilos. I carry her on one shoulder and an equal volume of Ganga water in vessels on the other to keep the bamboo pole balanced,” Dev said…..”
Read the full article at Hindustantimes.com
