The Kanwar Teerth Yatra, the biggest yatra of north India, formally began today, the first day of the sacred month of Sawan of the Hindu calendar.
Lakhs of Shiva devotees, popularly called Kanwarias, mostly from west Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Rajasthan, have started going back to their destinations, carrying holy Ganga Jal (water) in decorated Kanwars.
As they march, balancing Kanwars on their shoulders, the whole atmosphere reverberates with their chants of – Bum-Bum Bhole.
The Kanwar Teerth Yatra, also called Kanwar Mela, will culminate on Shiva Chaudas of the month, which this year falls on August 12.