🕉️ What is Kanwar Yatra?
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage primarily observed in North India, where devotees fetch sacred water from the Ganga River and carry it back on foot to offer to Lord Shiva, especially at local Shiva temples or Jyotirlingas.
The water is carried in Kanwars—a bamboo yoke with two pots slung on either end, balanced over the shoulders. Devotees often walk tens to hundreds of kilometers, barefoot and chanting “Bol Bam” or “Har Har Mahadev”.
📅 Kanwar Yatra 2025 Dates
- Start Date: Around July 21, 2025
- Shravan Shivratri: August 4, 2025
- End Date: A few days after Shivratri
🙏 Significance of the Yatra
Kanwar Yatra symbolizes penance, devotion, and purification. Offering Ganga Jal to Lord Shiva during Shravan is believed to wash away sins and fulfill wishes.
According to legend, Lord Ram offered Ganga water to a Shiva lingam at Rameswaram. The tradition spread and became a major ritual of devotion.
🚶♂️ Who Participates?
While most Kanwariyas are young men, recent years have seen increasing participation from women, elderly devotees, and entire families. Many walk barefoot, while others travel in decorated trucks, on bicycles, or even run as a form of penance.
🛣️ Major Routes and Destinations
- Haridwar to Delhi/Meerut/Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh)
- Sultanganj to Deoghar (Baidyanath Jyotirlinga) – approx. 100+ km
- Gaumukh/Gangotri to local Shiva temples
- Other locations: Varanasi, Ujjain, Nashik
🔒 Arrangements and Safety in 2025
State governments including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi are expected to make major arrangements:
- Special Kanwar camps and shelters
- Medical and emergency stations
- Traffic management and diversions
- Drone surveillance and crowd monitoring
- Plastic-free and eco-friendly yatra zones
