Kanwar Yatra at Prayagraj - Shiv Shakti at an ancient city

Prayagraj is known as the Sangam city, more specifically Triveni Sangam or the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati. Prayagraj is home to the Magh Mela also known as Kumbh/Maha Kumbh. So any reference to this city is mostly connected to the largest in attendance and scale of preparation. People have used tech like satellite imagery and video surveillance to estimate the number which have been growing every year.

Two kilometers away from the Sangam area is the locality of Daraganj which hosts the Kanvarias coming to fetch the water of holy Ganga river carrying on their shoulders back to their local temples of Lord Shiva.

History of Kanwar Yatra

According to the scriptures, during Samudra Manthan, the ocean churning also produced a poison which polluted the air and water. Both the devas and asuras found it difficult to breathe and this poison threatened to consume all living beings. Shiva intervened in drank the poison due to which his throat turned blue. (Neelkanth). There is another version which says that the snake (nag Vasuki) used for holding the mountain Mandara accidentally released the poison because of the force of the pulling and tugging. In both these versions, Shiva consumes the poison and holds it at his throat to save the world from certain death and destruction. Not the Shiva ever complained, but his most devout follower, Ravana decided to soothe him from the effects of the poison. To achieve that he brought Gangajal and poured it continuously on the Shivling followed by meditation. the power of his prayers helped Shiva in the Treta Yuga. So technically Ravan happens to be the first devotee who became a Kawari.

Some believe that Kanwar Yatra started when Ram offered water from Ganga to the shivling at Ayodhya in an earthen pot. This yatra is also believed to have started by Parshuram when he laid the foundation stone for the temple at Pura (in present day Uttar Pradesh) where he offered Gangajal every Monday during the month of Shravan.

Kanwar Yatra – the present day

Officially there are two kanwar yatras in India, one from Delhi to Gangotri, Rishikesh and Haridwar and the second one is from Sultanganj to Devghar (Bihar and Jharkhand). Although you will see a lot of variations, there are basically four types of Kanwariyas. Jhoola, Khadi (pole like), Baithi and Dak (the relay running variety).

Folks in cities like Delhi see Kanwar yatris as more of a nuisance today. When there is a society, there will be bad elements. Most of the Kanvarias shun the glitz and glamour preferring the quiet and anonymity baring a few loud ones which you will see. They have to follow strict rules.

Abstinence from alcohol and non veg food
Prohibited from sleeping on the bed, even for resting
Strict vegetarian diet with period fasting
Walking bare foot the entire journey and staying away from articles of leather

Concept of service and the vegan movement

Seeing so many urbanites doing social work and joining the vegan movement makes one wonder the show business of all that. Kanwar Yatra has gained a lot of interest in the past fifty years, especially after Independence. The strict rules followed by the bholes combined with the fact that serving the kanwaris is considered to be a blessing in itself is proof that this phenomenon is mostly Indian origin.

All along the route, NGOs and common people line up to provide shelter to the pilgrims providing all sorts of facilities for rest and care. Feeding the kanwaries is considered to be the holiest of all, directly serving the devotees of Lord Shiva. Govt is alive to this concept and each year the arrangements made for their smooth conduct keep improving.

There is also a whole economy supporting this yatra with shops setup along the route which sell everything to clothe and accessorise them.

Many of the reporters and news media persons wrongly report that pilgrims as jobless young men who are left behind in the rapid modernisation of the economy. These intellectuals imply that the people who are undertaking the yatra are doing it out of frustration and they participate to enjoy the attention showered upon them by the local authorities as well as common people. That is not true, since divinity in India is timeless and does not require a situation or patronage.

What happens at Prayagraj

So in all this backdrop Prayagraj happens to be the sangam city. It also has the point where Nag Vasuki mandir is located just a few kms before the Ganga river meets the confluence. Kanwar yatra at Pryagraj is grand and spectacular. But it is held in the shadow of the Sangam which is an all year long phenomenon.

Here is your guide just in case you need to visit.

Ganga Maiya Chauraha – This is the most prominent landmark in the Kanwar scene at Prayagraj. It is a traffic round about where three roads meet. One road reaches there from Sangam, one from Prayag Ghat Railway Station and third one from Nag Vauki Mandir. This locality is called Daraganj. During Sawan, the place transforms into a sea of shops selling items related to kanwar yatris. Continue walking on the Daraganj Ghat Road and a short distance away is the area where the pilgrims collect Ganga Jal. Hectic activity here to pick up the holy water in vessels followed by a holy ritual and then journey back home.

All the necessary items and pujaris to perform the rituals are present here.

Shri Pandeshvar Mahadev Temple – This ancient temple on the outskirts of Prayagraj was built by Pandavas during their exile. Since then devotees come to this place with Gangajal to pour on the shivling here. Sawan month is especially busy with Kawaris coming from Daraganj Ghat to this place on foot. This is the Kanwar yatra of Prayagraj.

Dashashwamedh Mandir – Some distance away on the Daraganj Ghat road is another historic temple. The name ‘Dash’ or ten comes from the historic event in Mahabharat when Yudhisthir performed 10 yajnas at this place. Earlier Bramha too had performed a yajna at this site which was the first ever in the history of the universe. That is how this place has received its name, Pra-yag or Pra-Yaj. Any place which has a confluence of rivers is called ‘Prayag’. Common examples are Dev Prayag or Rudraprayag. But the confluence of Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati is the most holiest of places which is why it is called Prayag-raj. That could be another reason why Yudhisthir who belonged to the Puru dynasty performed the ten yajnas for the souls of his ancestors. Kanwariyas first perform ‘Jalabhishek’ at this temple and then move onwards to their journey towards Kashi. That is the second route taken towards East, a longer one.

This temple has two parallel shivlings, one called Brahmeshwar Mahadev and other, Dashashwamedh Mahadev, to denote the two major yajnas performed at this place.

Devotion of Bhole Baba at the most ancient city of Prayagraj

There is no denying that under the shadow of Triveni Sangam, one of the most spectacular event occurs at Daraganj Ghat Road. Every year a sea of saffron descends on the narrow streets hectic with activity. Mondays are the most auspicious days and Sundays are specially busy streets. Anyone interested in street photography and the culture of our country at the grass roots level must visit this place for the ultimate spiritual enlightenment.

A note for the critics

There is already so much criticism regarding the conduct of Kanwar Yatra and how it inconveniences people. There is also a concern about the aggressive behavior of the kanwaris. Did you know that why saffron colour is used as the colour for clothing during the yatra. Saffron induces calmness in thoughts and nature.