KANWAR YATRA
“Kanwar Yatra” or the “Kavad Yatra” is an auspicious annual pilgrimage observed by ardent devotees of Lord Shiva during the Hindu month of ‘Shravan’ that corresponds to July - August in English calendar. During this period thousands of saffron attired Kanwariyas travel great distances on foot to holy destinations carrying “Kanwar” consisting of a pole and two pots to fetch the blessed water to be offered at local Shiv temples on the auspicious day of Mah Shivratri or the Shravan Shivratri. The yatra ritual was initiated by saints and holy sages in vedic era to appease Lord Shiva which is has now become an annual affair now for hundreds and thousands of people, from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, of young to old age, including woman and sometimes children, to participate in the yatra. On their way, the Kanwariyas chant ‘BOL BAM, BAM BAM’, ‘BAM BAM BHOLE or HAR HAR MAHADEV’ together. Some of such momentous Kanwar destinations include include Sultanganj in Bihar, Gangotri , Gaumukh and Haridwar in Uttarakhand
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Varada Raju