Kanwar Yatra Throuh My Lens

Mad Bhole Fury Road

Who hasn't seen "Mad Max Fury Road", the Oscar-nominated crazy movie which has a long chase throughout it? Well, for many of us it was a great thriller and a kind of different concept but, what if I say this is nothing new, Mad max happens every year in India. Wondering, right?

Is Kanwar Yatra any less than Mad Max Fury Road?

Kanwar Yatra 

Kanwar yatra is an antediluvian ritual, which has been  equally followed till today. It starts annually in  the month of Savan  (July -August) according to the Hindu calendar, in which the devotees of Lord Shiva participate. This sacred yatra's (traveling) destinations are the Hindu pilgrimage places of Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttrakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar, in order to bring the divine water of the Ganges (traditionally known as the Ganga Jal), which later propounds to the "Sivaling" at their local temple on the festival of Maha Shiva Ratri.

Take a Yatra through its History

According to the Vedas, in the month of Savan, the Churning of the ocean famously know as "Samudra Manthan" took place and as a result of the Churning, it was the poison which emerged out first, followed by the 14 Ratnas (Gems) including Goddess Lakshmi as well. At the last stage of churning, "Amrita" appears; to save the Universe from the vicious venom, Shiva took the venom. However, after taking the venom Shiva turned blue and started suffering from heat and according to the legends, it was Ravan who brought holy water of the Ganges by using Kanwar and released Lord Shiva from his suffering, by pouring Ganga Jal over the Shivaling of Pura Mahadev temple.

Insight of yatra

• Free Food - Throughout the yatra, you can find many food stalls which offer free food, water, and shelter to the Kanvarias (participants of the yatra).
• Dress Code- This yatra has its own color code which is "Bhagva" (saffron) color.
• Mode of traveling - this yatra gives you full freedom for traveling, you can do a "pag yatra" (on foot traveling) which is the most common. Travel on cycles, bikes, by car, have a truck! Bring it on, for god's sake, even a tractor? Why not? Anyway, who even dares to stop a Kanvaria? Enjoy the full freedom on Roads!
• Code for greeting -  And yes they have their own code, "Bol Bam, Bam Bam!".

They travel barefoot, sleep beneath the blue sky, enjoy the free food and you think you are a great traveler.

Desi Mad Max Fury Road

1. They have the Stark Desert from where they can control the water flow, we have Gaumukh! Though we don't have the ruler of the Gaumukh.

2. Throughout the movie, they chased for the water, So do we. After all, the whole point of the yatra is fetching the water.

 3.  They brought their own DJ to the party, so do we!

 4. They have a Dress code, we have better.

 The movie's catchphrase was "Witness me!",We have our own. "Bam Bhole!".

ॐ