With the holy month of Sawan, the annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva devotee to Hindu devotee places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri of Uttrakhand and Deoghar of Jharkhand also begins. This holy journey is called ‘Kanwar Yatra’ which begins from the first holy day of Sawan (comes in July and lasts till August). The devotees cover the distance of almost 100km barefoot to fetch water to Lord Shiva and ask for their blessings. It’s also popular with another name called ‘Jal Yatra’.
All the pilgrims store water on their earthen pots and carry out on their shoulders with small bamboo poles called Kanwar. Due to the importance of Kanwar given this pilgrimage name Kanwar Yatra.
Kanwar Yatra Story
As we have understood from the above that, it’s especially based on Lord Shiva. He is the protector, the destroyer and the all-pervasive one. His name belongs to one of those Trimurti whose name is always put first in any of the Hindu stories. They are the supreme divine of all the powers and their names are Brahama, Vishnu and last but not the least Lord Shiva.
The origin of Kanwar Yatra is associated with the Samundra Manthan (churning of the ocean) of Lord Shiva. He had consumed the Halahal (poison) which came out from the ocean during Samundra Manthan. He did this to save the world. Goddess Parvati held the throat of the Lord to stop the supply of venom in the whole body. This brought a change in the colour of his throat and later his whole body as well. His body became blue and since then Lord is also called Neelkhant due to his blue throat. The venom reacted badly onto his body as his body started burning.
All the God, Goddess and his devotees offer water to his body. They did this to save that Lord who always protects his followers from all the difficulties of life. This is the place where the ritual of water offering to Shiva began and still going on. Later, it came to be known as Kanwar Yatra or Jal Yatra.
According to a few stories, it is also believed that the great devotee of Lord Shiva- Ravana also watered Lord to save his life.
Kanwar Yatra Rituals
During the Kanwar Yatra, Kanwariyas take two earthen pots filled with the holy water of Shiva on their shoulders with the support to two small bamboo poles. They cover a distance of 100 km to offer water to Lord Shiva. All the Kanwariyas wear saffron-coloured clothes as it’s a month-long ritual. They cover the whole distance barefoot. Now, many used to travel through the bike and other vehicles.
When Kanwariyas return home, they perform holy anointment called Abhishekam of the Shivling of the local temple. This practice is considered to be a thanksgiving act for all the fortune and blessings of Shiva. The one thing which they have to keep in their mind in the whole journey that their earthen pots will not touch the ground.
The popular slogan they sing on their journey is ‘Bum Bum Bole’.
Kanwariyas are welcomed everywhere and the huge glimpse of the Kanwariyas are seen in the capital city New Delhi. The devotee places like of Uttrakhand are quite near from here. The arrangement of food and shelter is done at the in-between locations and provided free.
