Haridwar: A large number of Shiva devotees are reaching Haridwar to collect water from the Ganges for the 'Jalabhishek' of Lord Shiva to be held on July 26.
Coming from different parts of the country, the devotees fetch Ganga water from sacred places in the country, including Gaumukh, Rishikesh, Haridwar and Gangotri in north India.
They will return to their hometowns to offer the holy water to Shivalingam.
Earlier Saturday, the atmosphere of Har Ki Pauri saw the devotees engrossed in the devotion to Lord Shiva--chanting Bam-Bam-Bam-Bhola, a chant dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The 'Kanwar Yatra' is an annual pilgrimage for Lord Shiva's devotees. The Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga and then worship the God with the same water.
Considering that Kanwar Yatra did not take place for the last two years, the administration in various areas has been adopting all the necessary measures to avoid any untoward incidents during the holy pilgrimage.
—ANI