The Kanwar Yatra is one of the most popular and influential practices of the many ways to please the Devas’ Dev Mahadev. Especially in Sawan, this journey becomes a symbol of Shiva devotion, in which devotees offer Ganga water and offer water to Lord Shiva.
According to mythology, when the sea churned in the month of Sawan, the fierce halahal poison that came out of it was about to cause the destruction of the entire creation. All the gods were frightened and prayed to Lord Shiva for help. For public welfare, Shiva himself drank that poison, but neither pulled him out nor let him inside. They stopped him in his throat, which made his throat blue and he was called ‘Neelkanth’.
The gods anointed them with Ganga water to give them coolness with the intensity of poison. From here, the tradition of offering water to Shiva is considered to be the beginning. It is believed that Shiva’s Jalabhishek calms the fire of poison contained within him and devotees also receive the blessings of peace, welfare and wish fulfillment in life from Shiva.
Lord Rama in Treta Yuga and Yudhishthira in Dwapar filled water in Kavad and performed Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva. Some scholars believe that Shravan Kumar first started the Kandar Yatra due to Kalphabhed and Yugadhe. There can be many opinions in this subject, but the conclusion is that Shiva’s Jalabhishek, Kavad Yatra and Shiva Puja in Sawan paves the way for progress by benefiting devotees.
The virtue done in Sawan makes the life of devotees pure and rich, which gives them progress, health and spiritual uplift. If we do devotion to Shiva with true mind in Sawan, then any kind of fear, disease in life will automatically go away.
