Narmada Parikrama Concludes Safely—Thanks to Maa Narmada, (No Life Jackets, No Planning, No Respect—Only Political Advertisements at Taxpayers’ Expense!)

This year’s Narmada Parikrama saw exceptional arrangements at the beginning of the Parikrama, reflecting the Gujarat government’s commitment to devotees’ safety and spiritual experience. The well-lit Parikrama route, strict enforcement of life jacket rules for boating, and regulated crowd control ensured a smooth and secure pilgrimage. The ruling party’s dedicated efforts and investments significantly enhanced the yatra’s sanctity and convenience. Heartfelt gratitude to Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Bhai Patel, Home Minister of Gujarat and all government officials for their meticulous planning and execution, upholding Gujarat’s tradition of faith, discipline, and devotion.

The Narmada Parikrama, a centuries-old spiritual pilgrimage revered by millions, concluded in chaos and disillusionment on April 27, 2025, as Gujarat’s authorities failed to enforce even the most basic safety measures. Despite the mandatory life jacket rule introduced after the 2024 Harni Lake tragedy, essential precautions were glaringly absent during holidays, weekends, and the pilgrimage’s final day. Overcrowded boats, a severe shortage of trained personnel, missing safety equipment, and zero crowd control turned this sacred journey into a perilous ordeal. Devotees struggled for space on overloaded vessels, with many questioning whether officials were waiting for another disaster before acting.

Enforcement of safety laws appeared arbitrary, applied only at the government’s convenience. While Gujarat often legislates after tragedies, implementation remains weak—strict for common citizens but lax for political leaders, officials, and the privileged. "We risked our lives for faith, but the government risked our lives through negligence!" cried a 60-year-old pilgrim from Surat. Others, like a devotee from Vadodara, lamented, "We walked for days seeking solace, only to face danger at the end." A Bharuch pilgrim added, "This is a mockery of what the yatra stands for." What should have been a journey of devotion ended as a mismanaged spectacle, eroding trust in the systems meant to protect lives.

The pilgrimage’s spiritual essence was further eroded by the absence of sadhus and priests, who reportedly withdrew due to the influx of casual visitors treating the yatra as a picnic. "This is not devotion; this is disorder," said a veteran sadhu who has walked the Parikrama for decades. "The government has turned a holy journey into a tourist carnival—no discipline, no respect!" Officials faced fierce criticism for their lack of preparedness, with a devotee from Madhya Pradesh accusing them of treating pilgrims like "rioting mob." 

Most of the pilgrimage takes place along the roads, where VVIPs and some local villagers continue to travel in their vehicles. Only a few kilometers are walked along the banks of the Narmada River. This has led pilgrims to question: why is the entire pilgrimage not conducted along the riverbank? Devotees are asking why they are prohibited from walking along the sacred shores of the Narmada for the entire pilgrimage. "The river belongs to Mother Narmada, not to politicians!" a Narmada ascetic passionately declared. "Why don’t they create two separate routes for the Narmada Parikrama — one exclusively for vehicles and another exclusively for pilgrims to walk along the river from start to finish? The riverbank is sacred. Why are we being restricted? Isn’t this our heritage?" asked a devotee from Kevadia. "They spend crores of rupees on self-promotion, but refuse to allocate funds for basic safety measures," a social activist stated, demanding accountability.

Devotees have now put forward a four-point demand for next year yatra: 1) Strict enforcement of safety measures—mandatory life jackets, crowd regulation, and no VVIP or police vehicles on the Parikrama path; 2) Reopen and restore the riverbank route from the starting point to end destination —let pilgrims walk on the sacred shores of Narmada; 3) Inclusion of spiritual leaders in planning —not just bureaucrats;  and 4) Accountability for negligent officials —officers must answer for failures on the ground.  As pilgrims chanted, "We come for salvation, not slaughter!" the question remains: Will the government act now—or wait for another disaster?