Who Lifted the First Kawad? The Myth, History and Legends Behind India's Great Kanwar Yatra

What Happened

Every year during the holy month of Sawan, millions of devotees dressed in saffron undertake the Kanwar Yatra, carrying sacred Ganga water in a kanwar (kawad) and offering it to Lord Shiva. But a question that often arises is: Who was the first Kanwariya (Kawad bearer)? The answer is not straightforward. Hindu traditions offer several legends, and there is no single universally accepted historical account of the first person to carry a kawad. The Most Popular Belief: Lord Parashurama One of the most widely accepted traditions identifies Lord Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu and a devoted follower of Lord Shiva, as the first Kanwariya. According to the legend, Parashurama carried holy Ganga water from Garhmukteshwar in present-day Uttar Pradesh to the Pura Mahadev Temple in Baghpat and performed jalabhishek on a Shivling. Even today, thousands of devotees follow this route during Sawan. The Ravana Connection Another popular legend credits Ravana, the king of Lanka and one of Shiva's greatest devotees. According to this belief, Ravana brought Ganga water to offer to Lord Shiva after learning about Shiva's suffering from the deadly halahal poison consumed during the Samudra Manthan. Some traditions therefore regard Ravana as the world's first Kanwariya. The Lord Rama Tradition Some regional traditions claim that Lord Rama carried Ganga water from Sultanganj to offer at Baidyanath Dham in present-day Jharkhand. Because of this, certain devotees consider Lord Rama the first Kanwariya.