For one month each year, Tarakeswar becomes the destination of the world’s most extraordinary walking procession. Of all the experiences Tarakeswar has to offer, the Shravan Kanwar Yatra is in a class of its own. This vast and unorchestrated event is not a spectacle put on for visitors, but rather one of the most genuine expressions of living popular religion in India. It operates entirely on the devotional energy of millions of ordinary people.
During the Hindu month of Shravan (approximately mid-July to mid-August), Shiva devotees called Kanwariyas undertake a pilgrimage to collect holy Gangajal (sacred Ganges water) from the Nimai Tirtha Ghat at Baidyabati (also known as Sheoraphuli) on the bank of the Hooghly River, approximately 39km from Tarakeswar. They carry the water in specially decorated clay or metal pots suspended from a bamboo kanwar pole balanced on the shoulders and walk the entire distance barefoot, without putting the kanwar down to the ground, to pour the Gangajal over the Taraknath Shivalinga.
The walk is an act of tapas: conscious, voluntary austerity in the service of divine devotion. The rules are strict: the Gangajal must not touch the ground; the Kanwariya must not eat non-vegetarian food during the pilgrimage; the chant of ‘Bol Bam!’ (meaning ‘speak the name of Bholenath’) is repeated throughout the journey. The entire 39km route during Shravan Mondays is lined with a continuous river of saffron-robed pilgrims, creating one of the most visually and emotionally overwhelming religious scenes in West Bengal.
The Shravan Mela at Tarakeswar is West Bengal's longest and largest annual fair, attracting nearly 10 million devotees throughout the month. The most significant attendance occurs on Shravan Mondays (Sawan Somvar), as these days are particularly auspicious for worshipping Lord Shiva.
Witnessing the Kanwar Yatra as a non-participant is a profound experience that requires some preparation. The route is passable but extremely crowded; vehicle access in the immediate vicinity of Tarakeswar becomes very difficult on Shravan Mondays. Arrive by train. Expect noise, press and intensity, but also extraordinary generosity from the pilgrims around you. The Kanwariya processions are marked by an exhilarating quality, with chanting, drumming and vibrant colour creating a celebratory, rather than a solemn, atmosphere.
Comments