Kanwar Yatra 2026: Kanwar Yatra will start from July 30, note the auspicious time of Jalabhishek.

New Delhi: With the arrival of the holy month of Saavan, a unique confluence of devotion, joy and saffron color is seen all over North India. Kanwar Yatra, which is considered the most auspicious and sacred for the devotees of Lord Bholenath, is going to start soon. From a religious point of view, this ritual is considered extremely fruitful and gives inexhaustible virtues. Also known as ‘Jal Yatra’, during this journey, chants of ‘Bam Bam Bhole’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ start echoing everywhere.

Date of commencement and Jalabhishek

According to the Hindu calendar, this grand Kanwar Yatra formally begins with the beginning of the holy month of Sawan (Shravan). In the year 2026, Kanwar Yatra is starting from Thursday, 30th July, the first day of Sawan, which will last for a total of 13 days. On this auspicious occasion, devotees will start filling Ganga water from the banks of Haridwar, Rishikesh, Gomukh and other holy rivers from July 30 itself. The main objective of the Yatra is to perform Jalabhishek of Lord Bholenath as per the rituals in their local Shiva temples on the auspicious occasion of Sawan Shivratri on 11 August 2026 (Tuesday), with which the devotees will complete their rituals and fast.

Why did the tradition of offering water start?

According to mythological beliefs, when the deadly ‘Kalkoot poison’ came out during the churning of the ocean, Lord Shiva took it in his throat to save the universe from destruction. Due to the effect of poison, his throat turned blue due to which he was called Neelkanth and his body temperature increased a lot. To calm the burning sensation in Lord Shiva’s body, the Gods and the ardent devotee of Shiva, Ravana, brought water from the holy river Ganga and anointed Bholenath. Lord Shiva got relief from cool water. Since then, every year in the month of Sawan, the sacred tradition of performing Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva with Ganga water and taking out Kanwar Yatra is going on.

Why is the period from 3rd to 11th August very special?

The time frame between August 3 and August 11 will be the most important and crucial phase of this entire journey. This is because the first Monday of Saavan is falling on 3rd August and Saavan Shivratri is falling on 11th August. During this special period of 9 days, the maximum number of Kanwariyas returning with Ganga water from Haridwar and other Dhams will be seen on the streets. All the devotees will move rapidly towards their destination, due to which there will be a huge crowd of devotees on major roads, national highways and local Shiva temples.

Traffic diversion and advice to the general public

For the safety and convenience of lakhs of devotees walking on foot, many major highways and roads are closed by the administration. Due to route diversion being implemented at various places, common travelers may have to face heavy traffic jams. If you are also going to travel during this period, then plan your journey only after seeing the traffic advisory issued by the local administration.