Bearing similarities to the Kanwar yatra in north India, another important festival, called in Kavadi festival, is celebrated in Tamil Nadu wherein Lord Muruga is worshipped. Another origin story of the Kanwar yatra is intimately connected with Lord Parshuram, the renowned, loyal devotee of Shiva. The first Kanwar yatra was believed to have been undertaken by Parshuram. He is said to have fetched Ganga’s holy water every Monday in the month of Shravana for Shiva’s worship. PTI PhotoLike other religious processions such as Durga Puja, Ganesh Visarjan and Muharram, Kanwar yatra also has exerts tremendous pressure on law and order, often intermittently resulting in its breakdown.

Source: Indian Express July 12, 2017 08:37 UTC