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• Kanwar Yatra: A great festival of unwavering faith and devotion towards Lord Bholenath.

Kavad Yatra is an important cultural heritage of India. This year the month of Sawan will start from 30th July. Kanwar Yatra starts from this day. Kanwar Yatra is dedicated to Lord Bholenath. During Kanwar Yatra, Shiva devotees lift Kanwar as per their devotion. Kashi’s scholar and astrologer Prasad Dixit told these things in a special conversation.

He told that any Shiva devotee who undertakes Kanwar Yatra in Sawan, all his wishes are fulfilled. It is noteworthy that this year the Kanwar Fair will start from 30th July and will continue till 11th August (Saavan Shivratri).

What is Kanwar Yatra?
He told that Kanwar Yatra is directly linked to Lord Shiva. This journey is undertaken to please Lord Shiva. Kanwar Yatra is a journey of devotion as well as endurance and collective unity. Kanwar Yatra purifies the soul. Kanwar is a journey of devotion to Shiva. Meat and alcohol are not consumed during Kanwar Yatra. During this period, Tamasic food is also prohibited. Kanwar Yatra is a journey of the mind as well as the body. The 10 days of Kanwar Yatra are full of discipline. Kanwar Yatra also teaches us how to incorporate these days in our lives.

Ram, Ravana and Shravan did Kanwar Yatra
He told that there are many mythological beliefs regarding Kanwar Yatra. According to the story, Lord Parshuram established a temple in Pura Mahadev (district Baghpat) for the regular worship of his beloved Lord Shiva. Parshuram started the Kavad tradition by bringing Ganga water and worshiping in Kavad. At present Kanwar Yatra is quite popular across the country. According to the legend, Lord Parshuram, who started the Kavad tradition, should also be worshiped in the month of Shravan. Parashuram used to worship Lord Shiva by bringing water in Kavad on every Monday of Shravan month.

According to the second story, Lankan King Ravana, a great devotee of Shiva, was the first Kanwadiya. Ravana also used to bring Ganga water in Kanwar and perform Jalabhishek to please Shiva. Along with worshiping Shiva, Maryada Purushottam Ram also brought Kavad and anointed it with Ganga water. Many other stories are also popular regarding Kanwar.

Importance of Kanwar Yatra
Kanwar Yatra gives the message of equality and brotherhood. Along with this, Kanwar Yatra gives the message of doing any work with unity. At the same time, the message of staying away from vengeful things is also received through this journey. Kanwar Yatra is a journey of chanting, penance and fasting. Kanwar Yatra connects you with spirituality. Along with this, this journey also symbolizes victory over lust and anger.

Types of Kanwar Yatra
General Kanwardak Kanwarkhadi Kanwardandi Kanwar
Kanwar changed with time
Senior journalist Rajnikant Vashishtha told that while traveling from ancient times to modern times, there has been a lot of change in the nature and faith of Kanwar. Now a large number of Shiva devotees come out on their vehicles carrying Ganga water to offer it to Bhole. During Dak Kanwar, full attention is being paid to the loud sound of the DJ and grand decorations. On the other hand, earlier, due to the inaccessible foot path to Gangotri and Haridwar, the number of people carrying Ganga water had to be counted, but now the better arrangement of administration and increasing number of camps on the Kanwar routes has made the Kanwar Yatra much easier.

Sawan Monday 2026 dates
According to the Panchang, there will be a total of 4 Sawan Monday fasts this year. First Monday- 03 AugustSecond Monday- 10 AugustThird Monday- 17 AugustFourth Monday- 24 August

How are the preparations in Uttar Pradesh?
The government and administration have made extensive preparations for the Kanwar Yatra starting from July 30 in Uttar Pradesh, including tight security arrangements, route diversion and hi-tech surveillance. This time, a tight security maze has been prepared with the mantra of ‘Zero Incident, Zero Accident’. The fair area will be monitored through drones. Along with arranging water tanks, toilets and street lighting at various places for the Kanwariyas, Municipal Corporation teams have been deployed for cleanliness. The Uttarakhand government has also made extensive preparations for the Kanwar Yatra.

More than 5 crore Kanwariyas expected to arrive
About 4.5 crore (45 million) Kanwariyas had come to Haridwar for the Kanwar Mela of the year 2025. This time more than 5 crore Kanwariyas are expected to come to Haridwar Kanwar Mela.