India, Aug. 3 -- Kanwars (bamboo poles with water containers) exceeding the permissible height limit of 13 feet were being returned by the Uttarakhand police at various entry points along the Uttar Pradesh border during the ongoing Shravan Kanwar Mela, officers said.

Police said that before the commencement of the annual pilgrimage on July 30, the administration had announced that Kanwars exceeding the height limit would not be allowed to enter the state. Security personnel, along with central paramilitary forces, have been deployed at checkpoints to strictly enforce the directive.

According to the administration, teams stationed at the border are inspecting vehicle-borne Kanwars to ensure compliance with safety norms. "We are quite cle...