Festival guide 2024
Kanwar Yatra
Through Shravan, kanwariyas walk barefoot in saffron carrying Gangajal slung on decorated poles, to pour it over a Shivling on Sawan Shivaratri. Varanasi sits on the route for pilgrims drawing water at the ghats, and the walk culminates at Kashi Vishwanath.
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Central timing
Jal Abhishek Muhurat
Festival length
13 days of observance
Festival story
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Observed on
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Jal Abhishek Muhurat
Festival length
13 days of observance
Festival Significance
Why this observance stays alive in memory
Through Shravan, kanwariyas walk barefoot in saffron carrying Gangajal slung on decorated poles, to pour it over a Shivling on Sawan Shivaratri. Varanasi sits on the route for pilgrims drawing water at the ghats, and the walk culminates at Kashi Vishwanath.
Ritual path
Rituals
Fill the kanwar with Ganga water at a ghat, keep it off the ground for the whole journey, walk barefoot, and abstain from alcohol, meat and cutting hair. The jal is poured on the Shivling on Sawan Shivaratri.
How to approach it
Festival rhythm
Read the timing first, then the central ritual, then the local context to understand how the observance feels on the ground.
In Varanasi
Where the city adds its own colour
Dashashwamedh, Assi and Kedar Ghat are the main filling points. Expect saffron processions, night walking and heavy diversions around Godowlia and the Vishwanath corridor in the days before Shivaratri — plan road travel with a wide margin, and avoid driving through the old city entirely on the final two days.