Haridwar
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Haridwar
Text by guest contributor, Ranjan Gaur, personal guide, Club Travels, India According to Hindu mythology, there is a trinity of the Hindu Gods: Brahma-the creator, Vishnu-protector and Mahesh or Shiva-the destroyer. Shiva has a character, which is simple and innocent. It is only when he gets angry that he destroys the world. It is believed that Shiva has a third eye or TRINETRA. When he opens his third eye, it causes destruction all around. To worship Almighty Shiva one has to practice in many hard ways. Shiva gets pleased with his worshipper only after the worshipper passes through the many painstaking phases. One such form of worship is carrying pious water from Neelkanth/Haridwar or Gomukh and transporting it by foot to the individual's hometown. There the individual offers it to holy Shivling on the auspicious day of Maha Shivratri. Only after doing this one can get what one desires in his mind. KANWAR is the pious water brought from the holy river Ganga or from Neelkanth/Haridwar. The person who has brought the water offers it to Almighty Lord Shiva all the way from either Haridwar or Gomukh by foot on the day of Maha Shivratri. During the course of journey the individual practices religious feeling and he does not smoke, drink alcohol or eat non-vegetarian food etc. and also he does not keep the container, in which the holy water is being carried, on the floor. KANWARIA is the person who carries the pious water all through the route from his hometown to either Haridwar or Gomukh. After the KANWARIA stops at any camp situated along the roadside for rest then on his continuation of his journey he has to take bath as well as wash his clothes. He does not even think of any wrongdoings. This is also applicable to his family members as they are fully devoted to religious things and do not indulge in any sort of malpractices, not even in words. People travel on foot from far away places sometimes even 800-1000 kilometers. He carries the pious water in a container, which is hung from a stick in such a manner so that when the stick is placed on the floor, the container, in which the pious water is there, does not touch the floor. The container hangs from the stick. A KANWARIA is involved in religious duties and devotional tasks and after he has heard the name of SHIV KANWAR it makes an ever-impeccable impression on his heart and day-in-and-day-out he is in knowing more of it. On the occasion of MAHA SHIV RATRI the community people in almost every Hindu town organize a camp. In this camp the villagers arrange for the services of the devotees who dare to go to Gomukh-Haridwar. True religion is the one in which even though the hands get dirty in the services rendered to the society, the heart remains clean. Each and every member of the society is involved in this practice in order to serve the cause of KANWARIAS. These services include free medicines and boarding & lodging arrangement during day and night for rest. This helps the KANWARIA a lot on fulfilling his desires.
Pilgrims arise for early morning religious service.
Photography by John Sherman Mills and Thomas Iver Petersen
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Haridwar viewed on a misty morning from Mansa Devi Temple
Rich in silt and minerals the Ganges River emerges from mountainsides and a part diverted into Haridwar.
Kanwar is collected for transport throughout India.
As Kanwaria rest, platforms keep the holy water above ground.
A devoted support network arranges to provide the Kanwaria with food and shelter during their journey.
Prayer boats are released upon the Ganges. Ranjan Gaur is counseled by an elder.
Evening celebration of life's renewal on the Ganges .
Purification ritual conducted in the Ganges by morning worshipers. |
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