Panipat: Satnam Singh, a truck driver from Haryana's Panipat, has embarked on a 500-kilometre Kanwar Yatra to Haridwar, pulling a cart all by himself. He aims to collect holy water from the Ganga River from 'Har Ki Pauri' and offer it at a Lord Shiva temple in his village. Singh says the pilgrimage is dedicated to the peace and prosperity of his village, from where hundreds of youth have migrated abroad. "Earlier, 80-90 youngsters would carry Kanwars. Now, most of the youth have gone to foreign countries or settled in the United States of America (USA). About 400 to 500 youth from my village have gone abroad. To honour the temple in my village, I took this initiative to take water on a cart," he said.Lakhs of Kanwariyas like Satnam undertake the annual pilgrimage to Haridwar and other holy cities to collect water from the River Ganga and offer it at temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.The Kanwar Yatra is held during the Hindu holy month of Sawan, which began on July 11 this year.
