Sawan is the month associated with arrival of monsoon in India. It’s the month where devotion is the only feeling that incorporates divine power in the followers of Lord Shiva. Shrawan, popularly called as Sawan is the specific month of Hindu annual calendar. This pious month is celebrated in entire parts of India with religious activities and rituals. Shivdham Yatra during Sawan is a common ritual where the followers of Lord Shiva visit the sanctum to offer their prayers. Every year the Hindu pilgrims around the corner of the country move towards the famous Shiva shrines located in the different parts of the country. Some of the famous Shiva Dham Yatra is popular on a global level receiving media coverage by the different media houses and telecasted internationally. Sawan is also related with saatvic food. During this pious month the devotees consume pure saatvic food and refrain themselves from consuming non-vegetarian items including onion and garlic. With the advent of e-catering in trains, now devotees can book food in train online to get saatvic food right at their seat.
If you are also in the list of those devotees who are willing to move to Lord Shiva’s shrine tour on this moonsoon, then here are the details of some of the famous Shiva shrine where you can plan for the divine tour in this Moonsoon. These locations are easily accessible by the Indian Railways. During the month of Sawan, securing a confirm berth to visit the shrines becomes difficult. The sudden rush of passengers results in low ticket availability rate along with low PNR confirmation probability. If your ticket is in waitlist or in RAC, you can check PNR status online of the ticket to get the updates about your ticket status.
Amarnath Yatra:
Amaranth Yatra was once considered as a toughest route to travel for Shiv Darshan. It is a prestigious land where the spiritual belief of Lord Shiva’s existence is famous among the followers. Devotees around the world come to India during monsoon to become part of this divine trip. Amarnath caves are the natural Shiva Shrine temple consisting ice Lingam. The cave temple is at a great height in the valley of Jammu & Kashmir. Currently, the journey to Amarnath yatra is managed by SHRI AMARNATHJI SHRINE BOARD (SASB). It’s a body which arranges each and every facility for the pilgrims like accommodation, transport, cloak room, telecommunication, langar, medical facilities etc.
How to Reach Amarnath Yatra: Be it airways, Roadways or Railways, the pilgrims will have to walk for about 25 to 30 kilometers in the daunting mountain ranges of Jammu & Kashmir to reach Amarnath caves.
- By Air – Shrinagar International Airport (70 kilometers away from Temple)
- By Road – Srinagar Bus stand
- By Train-Jammu Railway station (170 kilometers away from Temple)
Note: You will have to hire a cab or taxi to reach Pahalgam or Baltal followed by a trek through the mountain ranges to reach the Amarnath caves.
Kedarnath Temple:
Kedarnath is another religious shrine witnessing huge number of pilgrims every year during monsoon. This temple is situated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand at an altitude of 3586 mts. It is among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The temple is located in Himalayan ranges near the banks of Mandakini River witnessing huge number of pilgrims every year. This temple is also counted among the Chardham of Uttrakhand. There’re more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in the area itself, the most important one is the Kedarnath.
How to Reach Kedarnath:
The temple is accessible form all means of transportation.
- By Air – Jolly Grant Aiport (235 kilometers from Temple)
- By Road – Gaurikund Road point (14 kilometers from the temple by trekking)
- By Train – Rishikesh railway station (215 kilometers from Temple)
Note: You will have to hire a cab or taxi from the airport, railway station or bus stop till Gaurikund Road point and then the pilgrims’ trek about 15 kilometers in the Himalayan Hill ranges to reach Kedarnath temple. There’re many tour packages offered for Kedarnath Darshan. It is advisable to choose a tour package and travel in a group.
Kashi Vishwanath:
Kashi Vishwanath at Varanasi is one of the most famous shrines of Lord Shiva. The temple attracts millions of pilgrims during the month of Sawan. The popularity is such that the sanctum is crowded throughout the year. The Kashi Vishwanath is a temple renowned universally for it’s grand Aarti and rituals performed by spiritually trained priests. Kashi Vishwanath temple is listed in the 12 Jyortilinga of India. You can also plan a trip to Varanasi to visit the temple of the supreme “Lord Shiva”.
How to Reach Varanasi:
Varanasi is one of the oldest establishment of India which is well-connected by Airways, Roadways, and Indian Railways.
- By Air – Lal Bahadur Shashtra Airport is the point to land.
- By Road – Varanasi Bus stop
- By Train – Varanasi City Railway station (2 Kilometers away from the temple)
Vaidyanath Dham
Vaidyanth Dham is another most celebrated Shiva Dham temple where millions of pilgrims mark their presence during Sawan. It is believed that the Shiva’s temple at Vaidyanath was built during when Ravana sacrificed his 10 heads to Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord Shiva came down to the place and treated Ravana. After the incident, Lord Shiva was called “Vaidya” means doctor and Nath which represents “God”. The temple witnesses a huge crowd during Sawan.
How to Reach Vaidyanath Temple: It is located in Deoghar in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
- By Air- Bodh Gaya international airport (175 kilometers away from the temple)
- By Road – Deoghar Bus stop (/ Buses from Ranchi and Patna)
- By Rail – Baidyanath Dham Station and Jasidih station (7 kilometers away from the temple)
Mallikarjun Swamy Temple:
The temple is located in the Indian state of Andra Pradesh where Lord Shiva is worshiped with his beloved wife Parvati. Goddess Parvati is worshipped in the form of Bhadra Kali at this temple. The temple is located in Srisailam town of the state where a number of devotees offer their prayers to Lord Shiva.
How to Reach Mallikarjun Swamy Temple:
One can reach the destination with several means of transportation.
- By Air – Begumpet Airport (5 hours of drive)
- By Road – Srisailam Bus stop
- By Train – Markapur Railway station (80 kilometers away from Srisailam)
These five major Shiva Shrines are located in the different parts of the nation where the pilgrims move especially during the month of Sawan. You can also plan the trip to any one of these temples in this pious season. If you are traveling by train to any of these holy places and looking for pure veg food in the train then you can get food in train via e-catering services to make your holy tour tasty and healthy.