#SaawanYatra

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Bol Bom Yatra to Kapilash Temple, Odisha

In Hindu calendar the month Shravan or Saawan (July-Aug) is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Mondays that fall during this month are considered very auspicious. During this month, saffron-clad Lord Shiva devotees or Kanwars walk barefoot on roads with pitchers of holy water from nearby river, carried on their shoulders, and then they offer holy water in the local Lord Shiva temples. Kapilash Temple is one such major Shiva shrine in Odisha.

The holy water is stored in earthen pots and carried by the devotees on their shoulders on small bamboo sticks, known as “Kanwar”. Hence, the Shiv devotees are popularly known as “Kanwars” or “Kanwariyas” and the entire pilgrimage is referred as “Kanwar Yatra”. In Odisha, the festival is also known as Bol Bom Yatra.