Lucknow: The 24-Kosi parikrama resumed after a 46-year gap, having been stopped in 1978 due to communal riots, in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal.
The parikrama began from Shri Vansh Gopal site in Benipur Chak on Friday, and the pilgrimage will cover 68 sites and 19 ancient wells, the state government said in a press statement.
The pilgrimage route starts and ends at Shri Vansh Gopal Teerth, passing through Bhuvaneshwar, Kshemanath and Chandeshwar, along with 87 smaller shrines. After 1978, the city saw migration and “illegal occupation” of religious properties. According to the official data, 495 cases were filed under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, leading to the removal of more than 1,000 encroachments and freeing about 69 hectares of land. In a separate drive, 37 illegal structures, including mosques, mazars, graveyards, and madrasas, were removed, releasing 2.6 hectares of land.