Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh) : The bodies of two 'kanwariyas' who had drowned to death in a pond here were pulled out, police have said. Akhandnagar Station House Officer (SHO) Santosh Kumar Singh said the two kanwariyas entered into the pond at Shivdhaam Belvai to take a bath late on Sunday. They died by drowning after slipping into the deep waters.
The victims have been identified as 18-year-old Anand Upadhyay and 23-year-old Mohit, both residents of Jaunpur district. Santosh Kumar Singh said the bodies were pulled out on Monday with the help of divers and taken to the local community health centre where doctors confirmed their deaths. The dead bodies have been sent for post-mortem, the police said, a PTI report said.
Kanwariyas are the Hindu devotees of Lord Shiva and they take up annual pilgrimage to the riverside religious sites like Haridwar, Gangotri and so on. They carry back home on their shoulders holy water drawn from the sacred river Ganges during their pilgrimage. This sacred water would be offered at the deities at their respective places. Some kanwariyas undertake this arduous pilgrimage stretching over hundreds of kilometres. The authorities make special arrangements to ensure a smooth journey for the kanwar pilgrims at their respective places.
