Women now 10-12% of UP's Kanwar Yatra devotees this year
This year's Kanwar Yatra in Uttar Pradesh is seeing a real shift—women now make up about 10-12% of the six crore devotees, breaking old traditions that kept this pilgrimage mostly male.
More women are taking on the journey, carrying Ganga water to Shiva temples and making their presence felt.
How authorities are ensuring safety for women
To keep up with this change, over 10,000 women police officers have been deployed—about 15% of the total force—to staff help desks and quick response teams along key routes.
For the first time, there's a full women-centric security setup to offer immediate help if needed.
Plus, Ghaziabad has opened a special women-only camp in Modinagar to improve hygiene and privacy for female pilgrims.
It's all about making sure more women can join in safely and comfortably.