HARIDWAR

ABOUT HARIDWAR

The name Haridwar means "gateway to God", and it is from here that the pilgrimage to two famous temples, Kedarnath (Lord Shiva) and Badrinath (Lord Vishnu) starts. It is situated on the banks of river Ganga, at the foothills of the Shivalik mountains. It is one of the four places where the Kumbh mela is held every 12 years. During this fair, millions of devotees take a holy dip in the river Ganges to wash away their sins. It is said that the pitcher of Amrit was kept in hiding here by Devtas when it was unearthed from Sagar Manthan. The same pitcher was taken to the other places, i.e. Allahabad, Ujjain and Nasik.

HOW TO REACH THERE

Air :The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant in Dehradun, but it is preferable to use the roads or rail to Delhi and then take flights to the destination of ones choice.
Rail: Haridwar is well connected by trains to almost all the major cities in India. In fact, trains are the major source of the tourist inflow to Haridwar.
Road: - The National Highway no.45 crosses the city, so it is connected to other cities of the state as well as those in the other states too. We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.

PLACES OF INTEREST IN HARIDWAR

Har-Ki-Pauri : Har-Ki-Pauri, the sacred ghat was constructed by King Vikramaditya in the memory of his brother Bhartrihari. The golden reflection of floral diyas in the river Ganges is the most enchanting sight in the twilight during the Ganga aarti ceremony at the ghat.

Chandi Devi Temple :The temple of Chandi Devi a top the Neel Parvat on the other bank of river Ganges was constructed in AD 1929 by Suchat Singh, the then King of Kashmir. The temple is a 3-km trek from Chandi Ghat and it is believed that the Adi Shankaracharya established the main statue in eighth century AD. The Chandi Devi Temple is now also accessible by a ropeway, which starts near the Gauri Shankar Temple.

Mansa Devi Temple : The temple a top the Bilwa Parvat is dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi. One can have a panoramic view of Haridwar, the Ganges, and the countryside from this place.

Vaishno Devi Temple : The Vaishno Devi temple here is newly constructed and a true replica of the original Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu & Kashmir.

Gurukul Kangadi University : The Gurukul Kangadi University is a center of learning where education is imparted in the traditional Indian way. Within the precincts of the University is the Veda Mandir, which houses many archaeological exhibits. It is situated on the Haridwar-Jwalapur bypass road.

Other Temples : Other important places to visit are the Bharat Mata Temple, Maya Devi Temple, Bhimgoda, and Shanti Kunj.

EXCURSIONS FROM HARIDWAR

Rishikesh : Around 28 km off Haridwar, is at the base of the Himalayas and it is where the Ganges comes down to the plains from the hills. A breathtaking experience of natural beauty and undiscovered wildlife awaits here. Not to mention the peace and tranquility of a landscape associated with sages and meditation.

Daksh Mahadev Temple :The Daksh Mahadev Temple is an ancient shrine situated to the south of Kankhal town. This temple was constructed by Queen Dhankaur in AD 1810. Kankhal has several other temples and ashrams too.

Sapt Rishi Ashram : The Sapt Rishi Ashram is situated along the Haridwar-Rishikesh road. The Ganges flows in seven streams in front of this Ashram, hence this place is also called Sapt Sarovar.

Kanva Rishi Ashram : The Kanva Rishi Ashram is situated around 42 km from Haridwar. The ashram is on the banks of the Malini River along the forest road to Kotdwar.

Chila Wildlife Sanctuary : The Chila Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Rajaji National Park, covers an area of around 240 sq. km. It has 23 species of mammals and 315 fauna species. Lucky tourists can catch glimpses of elephants, tigers, leopards, jungle cats, Himalayan yellow throated martens, sambers, chitals, barking dears, wild boars, langurs, ghurals, sloth bears, king cobras, woodpeckers, etc. Fishing in the river there is allowed with permits only.

Triveni Ghat : The Triveni ghat is an interesting place to be at dawn, when people make offerings of milk to the river and feed the fish. After sunset, priests set floating lamps on the water during the Aarti ceremony.

Neelkanth Mahadev : The temple of Neelkanth Mahadev, a place associated with Lord Shiva, is situated at a height of 1700 meters. It is a 4-hour walk from Rishikesh and a not-to-be-missed destination away from the madding crowd.

FAIR AND FESTIVALS

Haridwar, one of the oldest and holiest pilgrim centers of India, is also the place that plays host to around eight to ten million devotees during the Kumbh melas. The history of the Kumbh Mela dates back to the creation of the Universe and as a show of their faith, Hindus from all over the country assemble to take a holy dip in the Ganges.