It is the holy month of Shravan. As per the Hindu calendar, Shravan is the month of Bhagwan Shiva. It is considered auspicious to seek the blessing of Bhagwan Shiva in this month and it is also believed that anyone who worships Bhagwan Shiva in the month of Shravan gets all their desires fulfilled. Every Monday (Somwar) which falls during Shravan month is also considered highly auspicious for fasting. However, there’s another ritual that takes place in the month of Shravan which pulls billions of Indians’ full-fledged devotion to the month. It is Kanwar Yatra. Let us throw some light on the Kanwar Yatra which is widespread from Baba Baidyanath of Deoghar to Kedarnath.
What is Kanwar Yatra?
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of the devotees of Bhagwan Shiva to the Hindu pilgrimage places such as Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to draw the holy water of Ganga. These devotees are known as Kanwarias. The Kanwarias fetch the sacred water and take it across hundreds of miles to offer to their local Shiva shrines, or a few other specific temples such as Kashi Vishwanath, Baidyanath, and Deoghar in Jharkhand.
Kanwar Yatra is basically a religious ritual in which the devotees carry the containers filled with the water of Ganga hanging on either side of a pole. While it is true that there is little to negligible mention of the Kanwar Yatra as an organized festival, travellers in the 19th century used to report whenever they saw Kanwar pilgrims during their journey.
It was only in the late 1980s that it started gaining popularity. Now, the Kanwar pilgrimage to Haridwar is quite popular amongst the devotees as India’s largest annual religious gathering, with an estimated 12 million participants in the 2010 and 2011 events.
As far as its importance outside India is concerned, the tradition has led to the annual Maha Shivaratri pilgrimage. Approximately half a million Hindus in Mauritius walk bare feet carrying Kanwars to Ganga Talao.
History of Kanwar Yatra
Kanwar Yatra, for the first time, was held in Shravan month in 1960. This Yatra reaches various destinations in Uttarakhand. After the 1990s, the Kanwar Yatra to Neelkanth, however, became immensely popular after which a large number of devotees began participating in the Yatra.
The Kanwar Mela was first observed in the month of Bhaado as per the Hindu calendar. This Mela is also known as the Shravan Mela and is one of the biggest congregations in North India. Alongside men, women also take part in this Yatra.
How did Kanwar Yatra begin?
There are multiple stories about how Kanwar Yatra started. It is believed that during Samundra Manthan, the ocean spilled out poison before Amrit which led the world to burn. Bhagwan Shiva, however, came to the rescue and consumed the poison. As he settled the poison in his throat, he started turning blue giving him the title of Neelkanth.
Since the poison left a burning sensation in Bhagwan Shiva’s throat, Gods poured the holy water of Ganga on him to lessen the effect of the poison.
If ancient texts and history are to be believed, Ravana, who was also a devotee of Bhagwan Shiva, was the first Kanwariya. He brought him the holy water of Ganga using Kanwar and poured it on Shiva’s Mandir during the month of Shravan to release Shiva from the effect of poison. Since then, Shiva’s devotees are following the ritual to pour the holy water of Ganga on Shivling during Shravan.
At the same time, it is also believed that Shravan Kumar did Kanwar Yatra for the first time in Tretayuga. His blind parents had expressed their desire to take a bath in the Ganga in Haridwar. Shravan Kumar, for the kind of son he was, took them to Haridwar. He made them sit on Kanwar for the journey and carried them on their shoulder. During their return, Shravan Kumar offered it to the Gangajal to a Shivling which is considered to be the beginning of the Kanwar Yatra.
Types of Kanwar Yatra
Dak Kanwar – This is the toughest of all. Here, the Kanwariya has to run with the pole or Kanwar from the point they fill the water of Ganga till they reach the temple and finish bathing the Shivling.
Khadhi Kanwar – In Khadhi Kanwar, Kanwariyas set out on a padyatra carrying a Kanwar on their shoulders. This is a difficult journey and its rules are different. The Kanwar cannot be kept on the ground or hung anywhere. When a Kanwaria takes rest, another person must hold it.
Baithi Kanwar – In Baithi Kanwar, the Kanwars can be put down but only through stands.
Rituals to be followed by Kanwariyas
Kanwariyas have to follow some set of rules and traditions. Their journey is considered incomplete or fruitless if they do not abide by the rules. They have to live like a sage during the month of Shravan. They have to walk barefoot. Any kind of non-vegetarian is prohibited during the journey. Apart from this, no one can abuse or talk in a language that is not correct. Kanwariyas are also not allowed to sit on beds, sofas, and other furniture.
For some ‘secular’ intellectuals, Kanwar Yatra is an attack on the ‘Ganga Jamuna Tehzeeb’ of India, but if you dig a bit deeper, you will observe that it is a journey that is not only unique, but fruitful when it comes to physical health.
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