In Pics: Kawariyas across India travel to Haridwar to collect holy Ganga water
25 Photos . Updated: 19 Jul 2025, 02:30 PM IST
Share Via
Kanwar Yatra is an annual Hindu pilgrimage where Kanwariyas carry Ganga water to offer at Shiva temples during Shravan. Dressed in saffron, they walk barefoot or use decorated palanquins. This year, Sawan Shivratri falls on 23 July.
1/25Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami washes the feet of a Kanwariya during the annual Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar (@pushkardhami X)
2/25During the 'Kanwar Yatra', a large number of devotees gather at Har Ki Paudi Ghat in Haridwar to collect Ganga water. (ANI)
3/25Kanwariyas gather to collect Ganga river water during their pilgrimage in the holy month of Shravan at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar (PTI)
4/25'Kanwariyas' gather to collect Ganga river water during their pilgrimage in the holy month of 'Shravan', at Har Ki Pauri, in Haridwar (PTI)
5/25'Kanwariyas' gather to collect Ganga river water during the holy month of 'Shravan', at Har Ki Pauri, in Haridwar (PTI)
6/25'Kanwariyas' gather to collect Ganga river water during their pilgrimage in the holy month of 'Shravan', in Prayagraj (PTI)
7/25Kanwariyas, devotees of the Hindu god Shiva, carry holy water of the river Ganges during the 'Kanwar Yatra' pilgrimage in the sacred month of Sawan, on the outskirts of Haridwar (AFP)
8/25Kanwar Yatra pilgrims on Delhi-Meerut Road in Ghaziabad ( HT)
9/25Kanwariyas carrying holy water from the Ganga in Haridwar on their way back to their hometown in Alwar district, Rajasthan, during the Kanwar Yatra (HT)
10/25Kanwar Yatra pilgrims seen carrying holy water from Haridwar during the Kanwar Yatra ( HT)
11/25Kanwar Yatra pilgrims on Delhi-Meerut Road in Ghaziabad ( HT)
12/25Kanwar Yatra pilgrims ( HT)
13/25An old female Kanwariya ( )
14/25Kanwar Yatra pilgrims ( HT)
15/25Kanwar Yatra pilgrims seen carrying holy water from Haridwar during the Kanwar Yatra on Delhi-Meerut Road in Ghaziabad ( HT)
16/25Kanwariyas carrying Ganga water return from Haridwar by a waterlogged road during the Shravan month, in Haridwar (ANI)
17/25A devotee seen carrying an idol of the sage performing worship of Shiva as Kanwariyas return after collecting Ganga river water during the Shravan month, in Meerut (ANI)
18/25Kanwariyas return after collecting Ganga water during the Shravan month, in Meerut (ANI)
19/25Kawariyas seen during rain at Noida-Delhi border. (HT)
20/25Kanwariyas with a tableau of Lord Shiva return after collecting Ganga river water in Meerut (ANI)
21/25'Kanwariyas' carry water from River Ganga amid rain during the holy month of 'Shravan' in Haridwar (PTI)
22/25'Kanwariyas' take bath while they halt at a camp amid the ongoing Kawar Yatra, in New Delhi (PTI)
23/25'Kanwariyas', Lord Shiva devotees, carry holy water during the annual Kanwar Yatra, in Haridwar (PTI)
24/25'Kanwariyas' during their pilgrimage in the holy month of 'Shravan', at Har Ki Pauri, in Haridwar (PTI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Dream changed everything': How Nadi astrology session in Tamil Nadu turned this Tokyo businessman into a Shiva devotee
Among the saffron-clad pilgrims making their way to Haridwar this monsoon is someone you wouldn't expect, a man from Tokyo who left behind his booming business to follow the path of Lord Shiva. Who is Hoshi Takayuki? Hoshi Takayuki, 41, once ran a successful chain of 15 beauty product stores in Japan. But today, he's known by his spiritual name, Bala Kumbha Gurumuni . Dressed like a sadhu and travelling with 20 of his followers, he's on a special mission: to walk the Kanwar Yatra and reconnect with what he believes is his past life in the Himalayas. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Technology Healthcare healthcare others Degree Data Science Artificial Intelligence PGDM Others Data Analytics Project Management Digital Marketing MCA Cybersecurity Leadership MBA Finance Product Management Public Policy Management Data Science Design Thinking CXO Operations Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details Spiritual journey that began in Tamil Nadu It all started 20 years ago when Hoshi visited Tamil Nadu and had a session of Nadi astrology, a traditional form of reading based on ancient palm leaves. During the reading, he was told that he had lived a past life in the Himalayas and was destined to follow Hindu spirituality. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Struggling With Belly Fat? Try This at Home Home Fitness Hack Shop Now Undo Shortly after returning to Tokyo, he had a vivid dream. 'I saw myself in Uttarakhand in a past life,' he told TOI over the phone while travelling to Dehradun. 'That dream changed everything.' Life as a devotee of Lord Shiva Moved by his experiences, Hoshi handed over his business to his followers and embraced a spiritual life. Since then, he has built two Shiva temples, one inside his Tokyo home and another nearby. His devotion runs deep. He now spends his time travelling between Japan and India, spreading his love for Lord Shiva. Live Events He's currently hosting a two-day food camp for kanwariyas in Dehradun as part of his yatra. A temple in Puducherry, an ashram in Uttarakhand Hoshi is not stopping here. According to Ramesh Sundriyal, a friend and long-time resident of Japan who hails from Pauri Garhwal, Hoshi has bought 35 acres of land in Puducherry where he plans to build a large Shiva temple. He's also planning to open an ashram in Uttarakhand soon. 'I feel a deep connection to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand,' Hoshi says. 'I believe I lived here before and I'm still searching for my old village in the hills.' Inputs from TOI
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Traffic curbs in Delhi as Kanwar enters final leg
New Delhi: To deal with the rush of Kanwariyas on the eve of Shiv Ratri, Delhi Traffic Police on Tuesday said restrictions will be imposed on the movement of buses and commercial vehicles in the national capital from 9 am to 12 midnight. It also issued a traffic advisory informing people about road closures and alternative routes. A large number of devotees are expected to visit the Hanuman Mandir in the Yamuna Bazar area and this could affect traffic. Congestion is likely along Ring Road, particularly on Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Yudhister Setu and Boulevard Road, the advisory stated. To ensure smooth traffic management and public safety, restrictions will be imposed on the movement of buses and commercial vehicles from 9 am to 12 midnight, it read. Vehicular movement on Yudhister Setu from Tis Hazari to Shahdara will be restricted for all buses and commercial vehicles. On Boulevard Road, the movement of commercial vehicles will not be allowed from ISBT Kashmiri Gate towards Tis Hazari. Their movement will also be prohibited on Lothian Road from GPO Chowk to ISBT Kashmiri Gate during the specified hours, the advisory said. To regulate the flow of traffic, diversions will be put in place at key locations, including Kashmiri Gate metro station's gate no. 5 on Boulevard Road near the ascending foot of Yudhister Setu, near the out gate of ISBT Kashmiri Gate on Ring Road, and at GPO Chowk, it said. These diversions are intended to redirect commercial vehicles away from the heavily congested areas and towards alternative routes, it added. Traffic police said commercial vehicles coming from the Hanuman Mandir side via Ring Road and headed towards Tis Hazari will be diverted from the out gate of ISBT Kashmiri Gate. These vehicles will take a longer route via Ring Road, Yamuna Marg, Raj Niwas Marg, Rajpur Road, Dr. Karnwal Road and reach Baraf Khana Chowk, from where they can continue towards their destinations, they said. Buses and commercial vehicles coming from the Tis Hazari side and moving towards Yudhister Setu will also be rerouted, the advisory said.
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
5 states, 12 cities: What Kanwar Yatra 2025 tells us about modern bhakti
The curtain falls on this year's Kanwar Yatra, one of India's most popular pilgrimages. While faith drives the journey, of course, rising incidents of violence and vandalism beg the question: what's behind the burdened shoulders of those who embark on the long, strenuous journey?Outside the yatra, they are bike mechanics, AC technicians, small business owners, street vendors, homemakers, retired workers and even engineers. But during the pilgrimage, they are showered with rose petals and flanked by police some walk to promote and preserve their culture, the health and well-being of their families, some walk for unity, peace, and the betterment of the country. India Today spoke to hundreds of these devotees across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand to understand what drives them. Mithun Kumar, a 19-year-old fisherman from Supaul village, embarked on the Kanwar Yatra with no planning - just faith. Budhan, all of 15 and unlettered, completed his yatra without a pause because he felt a calling two years Sikandar Sah, 55, who has been walking in the yatra for over four decades, and Shivendra Poddar, 39, who helped start a local yatra in Bihar's Balwahat, the drive was both faith and inner joy. They were all, in other words, united by a pull toward Lord they don't come from equal places. While some yatris are lawyers, professors, students, and even politicians, most are low-income gig workers, mechanics, drivers, street vendors, or hawkers. Most of the pilgrims India Today spoke to are not the ones who feel empowered on a daily basis - they struggle to be heard. But during the yatra, they are revered, abided by, and sometimes feared. The Kanwar Yatra is reflective of India's changing spiritual GALORESonu Prajapati, 30, who works in a Ghaziabad law firm, earning around Rs 2.5 lakh a year, walks to inspire people to quit consuming meat and eggs, and promote Sanatan Dharma. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Amit from Haridwar walks to get "Gau Mata" the status of "Mother of the Nation".But Prince, 30, from Delhi's Jaffarpur, walks to bathe his mother with Kanwar water. Lalit, a tile worker from Delhi educated till class 10, walks for the health of his parents. Earning less than Rs 20,000 a month, faith is likely his only currency to earn a healthy and long life for his parents. And Ankush, a Delhi teen pursuing his Bachelor of Arts, is walking to fulfil his dream of becoming an engineer - and resolve some family OR DESIRE?advertisementAnkit Bhardwaj from Faridabad used to go on the yatra on his bike. But the desire for a son made him take up the journey on foot. After he was blessed with twin sons, he set forth on foot again this year in gratitude. Santosh, 40, from Rajasthan, owns a hardware shop and earns a decent living. He participates in the yatra because he feels god has always had his Golu from Ghaziabad, who works in a furniture company and earns Rs 16,000 a month, walks out of a "deep personal feeling". Manas Kumar, from Bihar's Khagaria, who makes Rs 15,000 a month from his business, says he is driven by the "invisible power of Lord Shiva".Vijay Kumar Singh was motivated by his family who joined the yatra for generations, and by his devotion to Lord Shiva. And Sohan Chaudhary walks because he "enjoys going on the Kanwar Yatra with his family members".Similarly, Dharmdev Solanki from Rajasthan's Dausa, who owns a ration shop, says he has been going on the yatra without any expectation since he was a the blazing sun or toughing out heavy rain and storms, they walk. And some people go the extra mile. Forty-year-old Munna Bhagar from Khagaria wanted to do something special for his village temple and that's why he embarked on this spiritual journey in 1997 for the first the time, he travelled by train to Khagaria, then took a jeep to Munger ghat to collect the holy water and covered 80 km on foot without stopping. On his first yatra, four people accompanied him. Now, thousands follow him every year. While some yatris are lawyers, professors, most are low-income gig workers (PTI) A GIANT CANOPYMany walk despite the everyday hardships of middle- and lower-class existence. But some also temporarily shed their luxuries to do so. Amit Kumar and Yashwant Rawat, engineers who earn more than Rs 15 lakh annually, leave behind plush MNC offices to walk barefoot in devotion. Suresh Kumar, a Delhi bank manager, says Lord Shiva's calling cannot go teachers, housewives, and even civil construction workers like Kiran and Archana from Odisha, all echoed a recurring theme: a spiritual instinct beyond logic, class, or convenience.A POLITICAL MARCH?Not everyone walks with a personal desire; some quietly want to bring about a collective change. Ravi Jirati, 36, from Indore, with a Class 12 education, walks to promote 'Hindutva and for the prosperity of the nation'. Saurabh from Panipat wishes to see unity among Hindus - and for "gau mata".advertisementMeanwhile, 20-year-old Abhishek was jolted by the deadly terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam this year. He said, "I have a strong desire for unity among Hindus in our nation. The incident in Pahalgam deeply affected me. That pain remains in my heart. I have taken up the Kanwar to promote unity among Hindus."On the other hand, senior journalist Manikant Jha from Darbhanga, walks to promote and preserve the Maithili culture. He has been doing the Kanwar Yatra for the past 50 years. He says the yatra is deeply rooted in Mithila's culture -- the belief that the first water offering to Lord Shiva was made by the people of Mithila on Basant recent incidents of violence and vandalism have cast a shadow on the yatra's spiritual ethos. Visuals of Kanwariyas clashing with citizens, and recently with a Central Reserve Police Force jawan in UP's Mirzapur, have sparked people we spoke to said it was only faith and yearning to be one with God that motivated them to walk, growing instances of disruption have raised some uncomfortable questions about the evolving character of the is faith merely a private refuge, or has it become a performance for visibility, empowerment, and belonging? For many, this journey may not be about arriving at the temple at all, but more about being witnessed along the way, an endeavour they have succeeded at.(Edited by Pathikrit Sanyal)- EndsTrending Reel
