Being a Kanwaria - A Journey of Faith and Self-Realization

By T. V. Sinha
Aug. 28, 2008

Day Two

We were up early the next day, at 2:30 am. The toilet was the Indian style pot that you can use only in a squatting position. Thanks to my nagging back problem, I have not used this style of a toilet for several years and it was quite a chore using it. Brushing of teeth was by neem twigs – something I was using after ages. The bath was a shower under a rather innovative contraption. A 5 hp irrigation diesel pump was pumping water from a bore well into a thick rubber pipe which had several shower like outlets. It thus enabled several people to take a shower simultaneously. I must say I rather enjoyed the open air shower which was most refreshing. By 3 am, we were ready to hit the road.

One covers distance very rapidly in the early morning. By noon, in spite of the break for breakfast and a few other short breaks, we were at Rampur. The importance of Rampur is that the motor able road and the footpath (see we do have functioning foot paths even in India) for the Kanwarias separates at this point. As we turned left into the footpath, the journey became extremely painful. A concrete canal has been built for irrigation purposes. The chipped concrete of the canal started to hurt the feet. I saw several people with damaged feet. Veteran Kanwarias told me, in the olden days this was one of the most comfortable stretch while Suia Pahad (literally the needle hill) was the most difficult. Man has intervened to reverse the order! I hope and pray that someone from the Govt of Bihar reads my travelogue and builds a kutcha or sandy path parallel to this concrete monstrosity. Whoever does it will earn a lot of goodwill from the Kanwarias.

This is not a pilgrimage undertaken by superhuman ascetics. It is a pilgrimage of ordinary household individuals who undertake it in very large numbers. The official website of the temple (www.babadham.org) estimates the number of pilgrims at 5 million plus during the 30 days of Shravan making an average of 175 thousands per day!

Author taking rest on a chowki while Engine Bam gets his feet treated. Engine Bam is from the village of the author’s friend and was undertaking his second Kanwar yatra this season so that he could help the author. His sole was badly hurt. In the background can be seen lady kanwarias. Author estimates up to 20% kanwarias are ladies.

It is the pilgrimage of “Bhole Nath”, the simple god. There are no restrictions of caste or creed or even religion for joining as a Kanwaria. There is fair number of ladies too. My own guess based on my visual observation is that around 20% could be females. Everyone is welcome to join as long as he has faith. One just has to follow the do’s and the don’ts. While the don’ts are observed fairly meticulously, minor transgressions are overlooked.

The atmosphere is one of a rural fair, with a lot of mirth and gaiety. There are jokes and there is merriment. There is a lot of communication between the Kanwarias. Some of the lingo is quite hilarious. For example, since I was the slowest in my group, I was promptly named the “Guard Bam”. Guard bogie is the last one in an Indian railway train! The fastest one was named “Engine Bam”. People moving with their wives were called “Family Bam”. People whose feet were damaged and had anklets were called “Damage Bam”.

In my group, it was decided that only the Engine Bam will have the privilege to stop. Others will keep moving till they saw him sitting at a stall. I as the Guard Bam had the privilege to walk slowly, but not the privilege to stop. To the credit of the Engine Bam, I always found him waiting whenever I felt like resting except for maybe one or two occasions.

Now these are harsh conditions. But there was an almost total lack of angst in the surroundings. Almost everyone appeared content.

The stream of Kanwarias can be seen extending to almost a kilometre. A villager is seen sleeping under a tree in the right corner taken by mobile cam, I both like it and hate it. Like it because the long line of Kanwaria is captured. Hate because a Kanwar got in the frame.

The chants help to keep on going. The most popular chant is of course ‘Bol Bam’ followed by ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. Others are longer and more descriptive:

“Baba Nagariya Door Hai, Jaana Jaroor Hai”

(The abode of the lord is afar, but I have to reach there)

“Bol Bam ka nara hai, Baba ek sahara hai”

(My slogan is Bol Bam, Lord is the only support)

After a fairly tiring day, we spent the night at a Dharamshala at Jalebia. The hilly region starts just after this.

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