Patna: More than 500 Shiva devotees are set to participate in Patna City’s annual 54-foot Kanwar procession, which will begin on August 3 as part of the Sawan Kanwar Yatra. Organisers said the Kanwar, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, has become a recognised feature of Bihar’s religious processions over the past 16 years.
The procession will begin from Kila Road Devi Sthan and pass through Marufganj, Hajiganj on Ashok Rajpath, Chowk, Machharhatta, Paschim Darwaza, Badi Patandevi temple and Sheetala Mata Temple before devotees depart for Sultanganj the following day.
Pilgrimage Schedule
According to organisers, devotees will leave for Sultanganj on August 4 and collect holy water from the Ganga on August 5. The group is scheduled to reach Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, where Jalabhishek will be performed at 9.30 am on August 7.
The procession this year will include a Jagran troupe, elephants, horses, camels, a DJ and an orchestra. The organising committee will also operate a community kitchen (Bhandara) for pilgrims along the Sultanganj–Deoghar route.
A Journey Inspired by a Dream
Vinod Kumar, founding president of Shri Shri Vishal Shivdhari Kanwar Sangh, said the initiative began after he had a dream during Sawan in 2007 in which he was offering holy water at Baba Dham alongside dozens of devotees carrying a 54-foot Kanwar.
Kumar said he had been travelling as a Dak-Bam from Sultanganj to Baba Dham since 1994. After sharing his experience with friends, around 100 devotees joined the pilgrimage in 2008 and 2009. The number of participants has steadily increased over the years to more than 500.
Kanwar Becomes a Local Landmark
Organisers estimate that constructing the 54-foot Kanwar costs between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7 lakh each year. They say the procession has grown into one of Patna City’s prominent religious events during Sawan, attracting large crowds along its route.
Residents gather in different parts of the city to watch the procession, while many record the decorated Kanwar and tableaux on their mobile phones. Devotional chants of “Bol Bam” and “Har Har Mahadev” accompany the procession as it moves through the city.
Organising Committee
The organising committee includes founding president Vinod Kumar, general secretary Sanjay Sao, president Niranjan Priyadarshi, treasurer Sanjay Sarkar, and members Arjun Yadav, Mantu Jaiswal, Bhushan Jaiswal, Mithilesh Kumar and Mukesh Kumar, among others.
Kumar said the 54-foot Kanwar has evolved beyond a religious procession and has become an identity associated with Patna City’s Kanwar Yatra. He also claimed that thousands of devotees have associated the annual pilgrimage with the fulfilment of their prayers over the past 16 years.
