India, July 13 -- The annual Kanwar Yatra, which began on July 13, reminds us how water has been worshipped throughout history and across religions.

Water, the elixir of life, has been worshipped universally and eternally. Temples and shrines have come up around water bodies and hot springs considered to have healing properties-from lesser-known examples such as the nearly 300-year-old Parsi Bhikha Behram sweet water well in Mumbai, to the 16th-century Amrit Sarovar (water tank) at Amritsar, Sikhism's holiest site. Bathing, as a ritual, is a prerequisite for religious ceremonies such as sacrifice, consecration, daily worship, and even before more mundane tasks such as the consumption of food.

Its importance is elemental, and both its in...