Kanvar Mela-Preparation
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Rows of ready made kanvars for sale at an outdoor market outside Hardwar.
In 1990 everything was sold from shops in town, so this outdoor market indicates a substantially larger festival in 1996. In the decades since then annual numbers have gone into the millions.
As happens throughout India, entrepreneurs appear to fill any any possible need. In 1996 I saw crowds of men wearing identical shirts, which had been made by roving silkscreen artists such as this one. The screen on the right is clearly a picture of Shiva.
To provide a personal touch, other artists will add pilgrims' names or destinations to the shirts by hand.
And since in India everything can come to you, there are also roving merchants such as this one selling decorations for that perfect finish.
Pilgrims themselves were emphatic that there was no prescribed way that everyone had to perform this ritual, although I believe that many village groups had rules for their members. Still, decorations were partly an expression of personal taste, and also seem to be driven by fashion, since some decorations common in 1990 (e.g., toy plastic parrots) had more or less disappeared in 1996.
After buying and deorating their kanvars (including the pictures and the plastic parrots), the groups come to the Ganges to draw their water. As they prepare the mood changes from casual to very serious, as the pilgrims bathe and fill their vessels.
Here you see the group's kanvars, as well as their more ordinary baggage.
When they are completely ready, pilgrims will stand patiently waiting for their companions to finish. Groups will often perform a puja Before they leave to start their journey with worship and blessings.
The man at left is another roving supplier, this time of plastic jugs to hold the water.
This pilgrim has set up a kanvar on his cycle, showing the infinite variety and personal choice found in this festival.
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