Kanwar Yatra | Har Ki Pauri - Storytrails
Every sight has a story to tell
Become a member

Kanwar Yatra | Har Ki Pauri

Kanwar Yatra is one of India's largest pilgrimages. It sees over 30 million devotees walk barefoot for miles, carrying Ganga water to Siva temples across North India. What’s the story of this pilgrimage?

1. Kumbh Mela at Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj, India

Photo by PANKAJ CHAUHAN from Pexels

https://www.pexels.com/photo/arial-view-of-kumbh-mela-at-triveni-sangam-30218192/


2. Chhath Puja at Howrah Bridge, Kolkata, India

Photo by Dibakar Roy from Pexels

 https://www.pexels.com/photo/chhath-puja-at-howrah-bridge-kolkata-india-29487109/


3. Women in Traditional Dress, Docks of Patna, India

Photo by Amit Rai from Pexels

 https://www.pexels.com/photo/women-in-traditional-dress-sitting-on-brown-wooden-dock-14248866/


4. Hindu Religious festival Celebration, India

Photo by Rahul Sapra from Pexels   

https://www.pexels.com/photo/crowd-during-hindu-religious-celebration-13203101/


5. Evening prayers at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar

Dirk Hartung from Bonn, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Evening_prayers_at_Har-Ki-Pairi_Ghat_in_Haridwar.jpg


6. Har ki Pauri during Kavad mela, Haridwar

Nicolas C, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malviya_dwipa_island_across_Har_ki_Pauri_during_Kavad_mela,_Haridwar.jpg


7. Kanwar Yatra pilgrims, Basukinath Dhaam, Jharkhand

Lunawatprashant, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Basukinath_Dhaam,_Jharkhand_27072010011.jpg


8. Kanwar Yatra devotees

Snipershanu, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_company_of_%27Kanwar_Yatra%27_devotee_raising_the_slogan_to_hail_the_mighty_Shiva.jpg


9. Kanwar Yatra devotee carrying a kawar

राम प्रसाद जोशी, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bhole.jpg


10. Kawarias-shiva devotees 

Ramesh Lalwani, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kawarias-shiva_devotees_-_531676360.jpg


11. Gaumukh from the beginning of Ganges River.

Barry Silver from Tokyo, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:View_of_Gaumukh.jpg


12. Gangotri city, origin of river ganga.

Dhwani Shree, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gangotri_(ganga_river).jpg


13. Barani Ghat, Vikaramshila Setu, Bhagalpur

Vkumarv, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barani_Ghat(Vikaramshila_Setu,_Bhagalpur)_Chhath_Puja_Morning_Arghya.JPG


14. Pura Mahadev temple, Meerut

आशीष भटनागर at hi.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pura_Mahadev_Meerut30.JPG


15. Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

Ashvin Kaitabhya, clicked by Abhishek Pandey, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ganga_Dwar,_Gateway_of_Corridor_of_Kashi_Vishwanath_Temple,_Varanasi_2.webp


16. Kali Paltan Mandir, Meerut

Whispyhistory, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kali_Paltan_Mandir,_Meerut.jpg


17. Baba Dham temple Deoghar, Jharkhand

onkardkhandalikar, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baba_Dham.jpg


18. Kawad Yatra devotees to Nav Nath Mahadev temples

Sushankh, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Navnath_Kawad_Yatra.jpg


19. Kawarias during Kawad Yatra 

Ramesh Lalwani, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kawarias.jpg


20. Statue of Lord Shiva, Haridwar

Jay Galvin from Pleasanton, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hindu_god_Shiva_murti_statue_near_Ganges_in_Haridwar_India_sights_culture_beliefs_2015.jpg


21. Illustartion of Shiva drinking the World-Poison by Nandalal Bose

Author Sister Nivedita and Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Illustrator Nandalal Bose, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Myths_of_the_Hindus_%26_Buddhists_-_Shiva_drinking_the_World-Poison.jpg


22. A 20th century painting of Lord Rama 

Ms Sarah Welch, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:An_early_20th_century_Hindu_deity_Rama_painting.jpg


23. Pura Mahadev, Meerut

आशीष भटनागर at hi.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pura_Mahadev_Meerut05.JPG


24. Pura Mahadev temple, Meerut

आशीष भटनागर at hi.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pura_Mahadev_Meerut30.JPG


25. Main bathing Ghat, at Haridwar, in the 1880s

AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Main_bathing_Ghat,_Hurdwar_(Haridwar),_1880s.jpg


26. Har Ki Pauri ghat, Haridwar 

Thakur Dalip Singh, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Har_Ki_Pauri_Haridwar_Thakur_Dalip_Singh_(126376273).jpeg


27. Dashara Festival at Har ki Pauri, Haridwar

Barry Silver from Tokyo, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ganga_Dashara_Festival,_2005_at_Har_ki_Pauri,_Haridwar.jpg


28. River Ganga at at Har ki Pauri, Haridwar

Dublinsantosh, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ganga_river_at_haridwar.jpg


29. Devotees at thr river Ganga

Photo by AJAY KUMAR from Pexels

 https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-in-saris-and-colorful-clothes-standing-in-water-28266098/


30. Jagannath Temple Mangal Kalash Yatra in India

Photo by Rahul Sapra from Pexels

https://www.pexels.com/photo/women-with-kalash-on-head-during-jagannath-temple-mangal-kalash-yatra-in-india-12364702/


31. Devotees in Sabarimala, Kerala

Avsnarayan, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SabarimalaRush2010.JPG


32. Amarnath Yatra, Jammu & Kashmir

Ashishyadav.photographs, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amarnath_Yatra_-Jammu_%26_Kashmir.jpg


33. Shree Badrinath Temple, India

Photo by Soubhagya Maharana from Pexels

 https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-at-shree-badrinath-temple-in-india-19019326/


34. Kedarnathji temple, Kedarnath, Uttarkhand

Atarax42, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kedarnathji-mandir.JPG


35. Kumbh Mela Sangam, Allahabad

Lokankara, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kumbh_Mela_2013_Sangam,_Allahabd.jpg

END OF STORY

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Email

You might also be interested in

How to Deceive the Evil Eye

The concept of the "evil eye" has existed for thousands of years and in cultures around the world. And every society has, understandably, developed unique rituals to thwart the evil eye and the misfortunes it brings, some of which are practised even today. What does India do to deceive this malevolent glare? This light-hearted article explores some magic Indian fixes.

Who are the village gods of Tamil Nadu? | Aiyanar, Mariamman

In a small village near Madurai, the village gods are quite unlike the Vedic gods. They may look fearsome and grim, but have colourful and human personalities. They are the go-to gods in case of any trouble, illness or grief. The ancient village gods of Tamil Nadu are the personal guardians of the village, the protectors of the people and have a specific role to play in the lives of Keezha Kuil Kudi village people.
Indian major epidemic

Camels, Elephants, Village Goddesses and the End of an Epidemic

India in 2022 is still dealing with the Corona epidemic as it enters the third year. But this isn’t the first epidemic the world is facing, and it is certainly not the deadliest. The 1950s smallpox epidemic was worse. India's massive vaccination campaigns kept us relatively safe, but there were challenges.