Gen Z Kanwariyas blend religious devotion with career goals

The Story in Brief

Lakhs of young pilgrims are walking the Kanwar Yatra, balancing faith with sharp awareness of education and employment issues. In Varanasi, 19-year-old BCA student Bhagwant Upadhyay wants to become a cybersecurity expert. He knows about the NEET paper leak protests but insists he is focused on his goal. In Ghaziabad, 18-year-old Abhay Tomar, a first-time kanwariya without a smartphone, says his vote will depend on whether students get facilities on time. Both The Federal and Hindustan Times report that many Gen Z pilgrims condemn unruly behaviour by fellow kanwariyas and demand better schooling, even as they chant “Har Har Mahadev.”

The yatra, which peaks around Shrawan Shivratri on August 11, has become a state-sponsored spectacle in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with flower petals from helicopters and mandatory name-display at eateries. Former minister Yashwant Sinha told The Federal that the government has politicised the pilgrimage for vote-bank gains. Yet the young pilgrims themselves, across both reports, prioritise concrete improvements in education and opportunities over religious symbolism.