Sawan 2023: Who Were The 1st Kanwariyas To Start Kanwar Yatra? – News18

The month of Sawan started on July 4 with utmost fervour in India. Sawan also means, the commencement of Kanwar Yatra by the devotees of Lord Shiva who participate in a pilgrimage and travel to places like Haridwar, Gangotri, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj and other holy places and fill up a container, Kanwar, with the Ganga water or water from other holy rivers. Devotees carry this on their shoulders and walk barefoot for hundreds of kilometres.

As per the scriptures, here are a few who were believed to be one of the first kanwariyas.

Lord Parshuram

According to experts of religious scriptures, Lord Parshuram, a devotee of Lord Shiva is believed to be the first Kanwariya who started the Kanwar Yatra. He anointed Mahadev while passing through Pura, present-day Uttar Pradesh. He brought Ganga water from Garh Mukteshwar and performed jalabhishek every Monday during the month of Sawan.

Shravan Kumar

Some scholars think that Shravan Kumar was the first Kanwar. The small boy carried his blind parents on a pilgrimage when they felt thirsty. The dutiful son was at a lake and filling a pitcher with water when he was accidentally struck by an arrow shot by King Dashratha of Ayodhya. Experts believe that Shravan Kumar took his parents to Haridwar, who wanted to bathe in the Ganga River. On the way back, he carried the holy water, and from then on Kanwar Yatra is considered to have begun.

Lord Rama

It is also believed that the first Kanwariya is from Treta Yuga and is Lord Ram. He first performed jal abhishek of the Shivling of Baba Dham by filling his Kanwar with Ganga water from Bihar’s Sultanganj, as per beliefs.

Gods

As per religious beliefs, during Samudra Manthan (ocean churning), a poison emerged which Lord Shiva drank to protect the gods. As he drank the poison, his throat turned blue and earned the name Neelkantha. The gods offered Lord Shiva water from holy rivers. Along with this, he was also offered water from the Holy Ganga. It is from here, it is believed, that the Kanwar Yatra commenced.

Ravan

Some people also believe that Ravan was the first Kanwariya. When Lord Shiva drank the poison during Samudra Manthan, it was Ravan who removed the poison from the Lord and brought water from the Holy Ganga river and anointed the Shivling with the same.