Kawariyas All Geared Up to Hit the Road as Shrawan Begins

ALLAHABAD, July 19, 2013: The holy month of Shrawan dedicated to Lord Shiva begins next week. Kanwariyas will hit the roads once again in their usual self-epitomising supreme form of Bhakti towards their deity Lord Shiva.

Sporting tilaks of various hues and design on their forehead and displaying tattoos in varied designs and themes on their tonsured heads, Kanwariyas are once again ready to carry the holy Gangajal to the abode of Lord Shiva in Varanasi, undertaking the ardous journey of around 140 kms on foot. Carrying earthern pitchers filled with the holy Gangajal, slung precariously over a bamboo stick on their shoulders, Kanwariyas would be a familiar sight on roads, highways and busy thoroughfares of the city drawing the attention of commuters and locals alike by chanting "Bol Bam" in the days to come.

Donning saffron attires and moving on foot carrying items of daily use in cotton bags, the Kanwariyas start their yatra during Shrawan, said religious teacher Dr Shashank Dwivedi. "They take time out to offer oblations to Lord Shiva and seek his blessings. Their journey begins with fetching Gangajal from the banks of Sangam. Thereafter they head towards the abode of Lord Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi which is brimming and teeming with devotees during this season. The devout who conform to age-old custom and tradition stick to the schedule of covering the distance on foot irrespective of the hazards and stress. It is with this zeal that these kanwariyas cover the distance in approximately four to five days and return back through the easiest available means of transport."

Owing to constraints of time, many in the lot prefer to go on buses and other means of public transport to their destination from where they head back home and get back to their daily routine, said kanwariya Shiv Kumar. He is a regular visitor to either Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi or Baijnath dham in Bihar during Shrawan every year.

He said that not only youngsters but even families and entire village folks make an effort to become a part of the process and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva for whom this is the most pious month of the year. This makes the entourage bigger and larger with the presence of large number of devouts who join the yatra.

Holding similar views, another Shiv Bhakt Ramchandra Yadav said "My destination during Shrawan is either the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi or Baba Baijnath Dham in Bihar. However the entire programme depends on the availability of time after which everything is planned accordingly as during this period trains are packed to capacity. It is hard to find seat in public bus operating on different routes ferrying pilgrims to different Shiv Dhams (pilgrimage spot), he said.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 19, 2013.