UP man begins 40-day 'Dandvat Kanwar Yatra'

Anuj is one such devotee of Lord Shiva who has begun his 'Kanwar Yatra' from Har Ki Pauri in Uttarakhand's Haridwar to Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh by observing 'Dandvat Kanwar' - a process of paying respectful obeisance by falling flat on the ground.

Haridwar (Uttarakhand):With the Hindu month of Shravan (starting mid-July) closing in, ardent devotees of Lord Shiva are prepping to undertake the 'Kanwar Yatra' - a sacred pilgrimage journey carrying water fetched from the Ganges to offer the Hindu Lord.

Anuj is one such devotee who has already begun his 'Kanwar Yatra' from Har Ki Pauri- a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Uttarakhand's Haridwar- to Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh.

But, his journey is a little different from the other 'Kanwariyas' (the ones who undertake the 'Kanwar Yatra'), as he has set out on his 40-day-long journey to the 'Pura Mahadev' temple in UP by observing 'Dandvat Kanwar' - a process of paying respectful obeisance by falling flat on the ground.

Anuj, a wrestler by profession, decided to undertake this arduous journey after his wishes came to true.

"I made a wish and Lord Shiva fulfilled it, and this is my way of paying respect to him," said Anuj.



Despite bruises all over his legs, Anuj continued with his journey and said, "It is difficult, but not impossible. This is the first time I have undertaken this form of 'Kanwar Yatra'. In the previous years, I have taken part in 'Khadi Kanwar', 'Jhula Kanwar', and several other forms of this 'Yatra'."