Kawar yatra and Baidyanath Temple

Out of countless Gods and Goddesses as is claimed by Hindu religion and supported by different mythological books ,Lord Shiva is believed as the supreme power and His divine power lies in Jyotirlinga, which is simply a symbol or a structure.

 

In India ,there are twelve jyotirlingas located at different places. Among them the jyotirlinga at Baidyanath temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand has its own significance ,also known as Kamna linga. The name itself reveals the meaning .Here ,Kamna means wishes or the linga that fulfills the wishes of an individual is called as kamna linga.

During sawan or monsoon season(July-August), also a sacred month of Hindus, thousands of pilgrims from different corners of  the world pay visit and offer holy water to the linga.The popularity of Baidyanath Temple is not only because of jyotirlinga but is also blessed with one more pilgrimage site. This is the only Hindu pilgrimage place in India where jyotirlinga and shaktipeeth are present at one place and very close to one another .

In the sawan month Baidyanath temple look differently because of kawar yatra Kawar is a wooden structure made of bamboo used to carry vessels full of holy water or Ganga Jal.Kawarias are the devotees of shiva who in saffron robes travel barefooted with kawar on the shoulder carrying the holy Ganga jal . 

Kawarias collect holy water or Ganga jal from Sultanganj in Bihar and after rambling through fields,uneven surface  covering 108 kms barefooted they reach Baidyanath temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand where they offer the Ganga jal to the Lord. Several help groups come forward and install makeshift camps along the way at different points to wholeheartedly serve the Kawarias by  providing free food and medical services along with space for rest. While trekking the route Kawarias chants hymns like 'Bol Bam' or ' Har Har Mahadev'.These words are used in praise of the Almighty .

But the question is why do  devotees  offer holy water to Lord shiva mainly in the month of sawan ?

The answer to this question is very simple. As per the mythological books the Lord shiva is also called 'Nilkanth' because during churning of the sea many things came out like nectar ,precious gems etc and also a pot containing poison . Among gods no one accepted the same .Ultimately, Lord shiva drank the whole pot full of poison and kept it in the' kanth 'or the neck region and He got the name 'Nilkanth'.

The affect of the poison is more felt during monsoon season and to lower the affect or to cool down, water is offered .So, the holy water is poured during the sawan  month on the Lord or linga.This is the reason behind offering the holy water.  Safforn-clad pilgrims or the Kawarias do the kawar yatra ,which is an annual pilgrimage for or on fulfilment of wishes they had sought from the Almighty.

    

Where to stay during kawar yatra?

Many dharmshalas and temporary settlements are present  along the way which provide free stay option or paid services are also available.

Where to stay at Deoghar?

In Deoghar many dharamshalas ,hotel at pocket friendly prices are available. Luxurious and comfy stay options are also there.

What precautions are to be taken in Deoghar and Sultanganj?

Do bargaining before purchasing any thing and before performing any puja or rituals ask the priest or the panda in advance about the charges or fees to be paid.

Important phone numbers.

From Sultanganj the route to Baidyanath temple is not smooth but has variations. The journey of Kawarias begins with trekking on gravel road and then starts kucha road with inner bare earth surface and a thin layer of sand on top .When wet the road turns muddy and slippery and baked hard when dry.With the fall of rain the road almost becomes impassable and needs precautions to walk.

A large number of temporary stalls made of plastic sheets and some having thatched roofs lined up on both sides of the route that leads to the Baidyanath temple.After every ten to fifteen metres there are stalls where all kinds of stuffs one could get starting from a cup of hot tea to complete food.The Kawarias also relax and take rests in these stalls as they all have wooden beds or chowki called in local language.Some must to eat stuffs on the way are kela jaelebi ,a sweet dish prepared from the pulp of ripened banana,Dahi-rabri (sweet curd and condensed milk ),then hot pure fresh boiled milk .Perhaps ,all these things collectively make this 108 kilometers walk more pleasurable.

Certain rules

that Kawarias follow while carrying the holy water are 

(1)  Not to tell lie during the Kawar yatra

(2) Not to eat non-veg food .

(3) After every nature's call take bath.

(4) keep a distance from stray dogs so that it should not touch the holy water.

These are the important measures that Kawarias follow while travelling barefooted or kawar yatra.

The route to Deoghar from Sultanganj and distances in kms are given below.

 Ajgaibinath (starting point)----Kamrai    6KMS

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Masumganj    (  2KMS )

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Asarganj ( 5 KMS)

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Rangaon ( 5KMS )

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Tarapur ( 3KMS )

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Madhodih ( 2KMS )

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Rampur ( 5KMS )

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Kumarsar ( 8KMS )

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Vishwakarma Tola ( 4KMS )

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Mahadev Nagar ( 3KMS )

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Chandan Nagar ( 3 KMS )

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Jalebia More ( 8KMS )

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Tageshwar Nath ( 5 KMS )

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Suiya ( 3 KMS )

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Shivlok  ( 2 KMS )

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Abrakhia ( 6KMS )

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Katoria ( 8 KMS )

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Lakshman Jhula ( 8KMS )

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Inaravaran ( 8KMS )

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Bhulbhulaiya  ( 3KMS )

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Goryari ( 5KMS )

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Patania ( 5KMS )

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Kolkatia ( 3 KMS )

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Bhotbangla ( 5KMS )

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Darshaniya ( 1KM )

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Baidyanath Temple

With arrival to Baidyanath temple the Kawarias take a holy deep into Shiv Ganga ,a pond which is believed to be the part of sacred river ,the Ganga.After bath the Kawarias offer the holy water ,collected from Sultanganj to the Jyotirlinga at the Baidyanath temple.

After Deoghar the Kawarias visit to Bashukinath temple which is also a place of pilgrimage. A 50 minutes short drive from Deoghar will take the devotees to Basukinath. Like Deoghar this place also draws tourists from across the globe. Here, also the Kawarias offer  holy water to  the shiv linga .It is a belief that kawar yatra will be incomplete without a visit to Bashukinath temple.

What to buy at Deoghar ?

Here devotees  mainly buy peda ,a sweet dish made from milk, bitten paddy ,Elaichi dana made from sugar and powered form of plum also  known by name 'bare churna'

What to do before planning Kawar yatra?

Book railway tickets in advance or make reservations before planning as rush during kawar yatra reach at its peak and getting reservation be

Sultanganj  

0641-2492202 

Police control room 0641-2400701

Control room100

Ambulance 102

Women's Helpline 181

Disaster Management 108

Deoghar important  Phone   nos

Baidyanath Temple 916432232295

9431418752

S.p  06432 232733

06641 226100