Sawan 2022 Kanwar Yatra: The annual pilgrimage, which has been halted for the last two years due to the pandemic, has begun. Throughout the month of Sawan, devotees worship Lord Shiva and go on a Kanwar pilgrimage to please him. They also observe fast on all the four Mondays of the month to seek his blessings. The pilgrimage sees thousands of Lord Shiva devotees, who on foot or by other means collect the holy Ganges water from Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar, to offer it to Shiva temples in their respective regions.
Kanwar Yatra 2022 Date
start date: 14 July
Last date: 26 July
What is Kanwar Yatra?
In most of the northern states, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar and Jharkhand, Kanwar Yatra is quite popular. Lakhs of devotees participate in the festivities – dancing and singing Shiva hymns throughout the route. Traffic police make special rules and routes to avoid any kind of congestion. Special measures are taken and security is beefed up in popular temples to avoid nuisance and untoward incidents. Several resting and dining points have been created by the government and volunteers to serve the people.
Why is the Kanwar Yatra held in Sawan? learn the importance
According to mythology, Lord Shiva consumed the poison released during Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) to save the world. However, Goddess Parvati quickly grabbed his throat to prevent the poison from spreading further in his body. This made his throat blue. Since then he also came to be known as Neelkanth.
Lord Shiva’s body started burning and hence all the gods and goddesses offered water to him. From here the rituals of offering water to the Lord and Kanwar Yatra started.
Kanwar Yatra Rules
The pilgrimage sees thousands of devotees of Lord Shiva, most of whom travel on foot and more recently on trucks to Haridwar in Uttarakhand to collect holy water from the Ganges River. The pilgrimage mostly starts in late July and lasts till the first week of August. A huge crowd is expected this year as the yatra is taking place after a gap of two years.
In this annual pilgrimage that takes place in the month of Sawan, saffron-clad devotees walk barefoot to collect the holy Ganges water. There are certain rules that all devotees must follow. Travel is always done in groups and cosmetics are prohibited throughout the trip. Nights are always for rest. You cannot take Kanwar without taking a bath. It is not allowed to keep it on your head or under any tree. Consumption of alcohol, onion and garlic should be avoided during Kanwar Yatra.
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