My 2 cents on Kanwariyas
Kanwariyas, in my opinion, are also an epitome of a much bigger problem - unemployment and the need for social validation.
We all know unemployed youth are looked down upon in our society. So how does an unemployed young man earn respect? By doing something which society considers respectable.
And in a society which is heavily driven by religion, religious activities becomes one of the easiest way to earn that respect. When I was a kid, I remember my neighbours organised a kirtan. Everyone in the society came, praised them for organising it and treated them with a lot of respect. Nobody really cared what they did otherwise. The fact that they organised a religious event itself gave them some sort of social standing.
I think Kanwar Yatra works in a similar way for a lot of young men.
You may not have a job, you may not have much social status, you may not have achieved much in life but you can go on a Kanwar Yatra, walk hundreds of kilometres and suddenly people look at you with respect.
You earn respect by doing such religious. Religion fills that gap very easily.