The month of Saawan began in Uttarakhand on July 16 this year. It began on a Monday which is considered very auspicious in the context of lord Shiva. Also, this year, the month of Saawan will consist of five Mondays which is also considered very auspicious.

If there is one deity with which Uttarakhand is most strongly identified with it is none other than lord Shiva. And with the advent of Saawan, this becomes quite evident. Thousands of Shiva devotees can be seen in the hill State offering worship at the many Shiva shrines here.

Raising cries of “Bam Bam Bholey” while performing the “pooja” which is performed  specially during “Shrawan” (Saawan) , crowds of devotees, including a large number of Kanwadias, begin moving towards the Neelkanth Mahadev shrine which is a scenic trek from the Swaragshram area across the Ram Jhoola at Rishikesh. Buses are also easily available from Rishikesh to go upto this ancient shrine. Shiva devotees can be seen in large number in the Doon valley while on their way to Rishikesh, Haridwar  and Neelkanth.

The Neelkanth Mahadev yatra begins in the month of “Saawan” and culminates on the Shrawan Shivratri. Neelkanth is around 20 kilometres from Rishikesh and is located at a height of 1675 metres. More than 30 lakh  Shiva devotees  visit the shrine every year. The Neelkanth  yatra is an extension of the  Kanwad“ yatra and melas which begin with the arrival of Saawan. Amid the rains, the yatra carries on with the infectious fervour of the devotees making it an extremely colourful and exciting event in the cultural calendar of the hill State.

I bow down to that three-eyed lord Shiva, who is full of sweet fragrance,Who nourishes the human beings.

May he free me from the bondage of worldly desires and death,Just as a ripe cucumber fruit is separated from the creeper.

May I be fixed in Immortality!

This is the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra of lord Shiva, chanting which for 108 times one can get blessed with immortality or can escape from rebirth. Shiva has appeared in several forms in popular religious beliefs. While in the Puranas, he is referred to as the destroyer of evils and represents one among the three primary aspects of the Trinity, in folklore and legends, he has been depicted more as a general householder who has flaws and follies just like common men. However, Shiva in both these avatars has one thing in common and that is his residence, which has been known to be on the Himalaya. To mark his divine presence in Himalaya, a number of temples is built at different heights which are rich in architectural grandeur and lets one feel the existence of that supreme soul inevitably.  More than thirty popular Shiva Temples found in Dev Bhumi Uttarakhand speak about the thousands year old tales connected to this mystical land.

The tiny village of Garhi in  the Doon valley  is home to  Tapkeshwar Mahadev shrine where thousands of Shiva devotees gather every year.The Uttarakhand Himalayas are filled with the power and passion of lord Shiva. The most famous is, of course, Kedarnath Temple. There are four other temples along with Kedarnath which are called “Panch Kedars.” Shiva is known for his love of lonely peaks and true worshippers of this deity are always prepared to face many challenges that he places in their way.

These five temples (Panch Kedars) are sprawled all over the vast Kedar valley at altitudes. Out of these, Tungnath is the highest at 3,810 metres, Kedarnath is at 3584 metres, Madmaheshwar is at 3289 metres, Rudranath is at 2286 metres and Kalpeshwar at 2134 metres. Also, the challenging and exciting Kailash Mansarovar yatra that passes through Uttarakhand and the pilgrimage to Chhota Kailash are two extremely special and unique spiritual/religious events in the hill state’s calendar annual of events.

Kailash Mansarovar , according to the Puranas, is identified as the centre of the universe. Mount Kailash (6690 metres) is believed to be the  abode of  lord Shiva and Parvati while the vast lake (Mansarovar) near it is believed to have been created by Brahma.

Uttarakhand can, no doubt, be called lord Shiva’s Own Country.