Adityanath hails Kanwar Yatra as symbol of social unity

In India, many people worship a god named Lord Shiva.

Every year, they take part in something called the Kanwar Yatra, which is a very long walking trip.

The walkers, called Kanwariyas, walk for many hundreds of kilometres to reach holy places.

They want to pour holy water, called jalabhishek, on Shiva temples.

The leader of a state called Uttar Pradesh is named Yogi Adityanath.

He stood on a special platform in a city called Meerut and threw flower petals on the walkers as they passed by.

He said the walkers are a great example of how people from different backgrounds can be united.

He thinks that about 4.5 crore, meaning 45 million, people will take part by a special festival day called Shivratri.

The walkers come from many different states, like Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan.

The Chief Minister said people will keep getting flower petals showered on them for the next two days.