Haridwar is one of the seven holiest places in India, and one of the oldest living cities. Located at the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, it's particularly popular with Hindu pilgrims who come to take a dip in the holy waters of the fast flowing Ganges River and wash away their sins.
Haridwar is the gateway of god. According to legend, Prince Bhagirath performed penance here to salvage the souls of his ancestors who had perished due to Sage Kapila’s curse.
Haridwar is located in Uttarakhand. Trains from major cities all over India stop at Haridwar on their way to Dehradun. For those coming from Delhi to Haridwar, it takes a minimum of four hours to get there by train or six hours by road. The nearest airport to Haridwar is in Dehradun, 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. This makes air travel a less preferable option.
Hardiwar Festivals:
The most famous festival to take place at Haridwar is the Kumbh Mela, held there once every 12 years. It draws tens of millions of pilgrims who come to bathe in the Ganges and be absolved of their sins. In addition to these melas, many religious Hindu festivals are celebrated in Haridwar. Some of the most popular ones are the Kanwar Mela (July-August) devoted to Lord Shiva, Ganga Dussehra (June), Kartik Poornima (November), and Baisakhi (April).
Attractions:
Haridwar is the gateway of god. According to legend, Prince Bhagirath performed penance here to salvage the souls of his ancestors who had perished due to Sage Kapila’s curse.
Haridwar is located in Uttarakhand. Trains from major cities all over India stop at Haridwar on their way to Dehradun. For those coming from Delhi to Haridwar, it takes a minimum of four hours to get there by train or six hours by road. The nearest airport to Haridwar is in Dehradun, 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. This makes air travel a less preferable option.
Hardiwar Festivals:
The most famous festival to take place at Haridwar is the Kumbh Mela, held there once every 12 years. It draws tens of millions of pilgrims who come to bathe in the Ganges and be absolved of their sins. In addition to these melas, many religious Hindu festivals are celebrated in Haridwar. Some of the most popular ones are the Kanwar Mela (July-August) devoted to Lord Shiva, Ganga Dussehra (June), Kartik Poornima (November), and Baisakhi (April).
Attractions:
Haridwar's main attractions are its temples, ghats (steps leading
down to the river), and Ganges River. Take a holy dip and cleanse your
sins. As the sun sets, head to Har ki Pauri ghat to witness the magical
Ganga Aarti (prayer) at around 6-7 p.m. every night. Fiery lamps
combined with the chanting of mantras, clanking of bells and
enthusiastic crowd, is very moving. Haridwar is also a great place to
come if you've got an interest in Ayurvedic medicine, as many roots and
shrubs that are grown in the Himalayas are readily available there.
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's aarti ceremony at the ghat.
Chandi Devi Temple:
This temple is on the top of a hill called the Neel Parvat, on the other side of the river Ganga. The story goes that Chanda-Munda the army chief of the demons Shumbh-Nishumbh were killed by Goddess Chandi hence the name Chandi Devi.
Chandi Devi is a 3 km trek from the Chandi Ghat. Chandi Devi Temple is now accessible by a ropeway also, by the name of Chandi Devi Udankhatola, which starts near Gauri Shanker Temple. There is a dense forest on the other side of the hill inhabited by elephants and other wild animals.
Mansa Devi Temple:
The temple on the top of Bilwa Parvat is dedicated to the Goddess Mansa Devi. Here, one statue of the Goddess has three mouths and five arms while the other statue has eight arms. A beautiful view of the city can be had from this place. There is a Ropeway service by the name of Mansa Devi Udankhatola from lower station to the Mansa Devi Temple which takes only 5 Minutes to reach the Temple. The length of Ropeway is 540 mts and height 178 mts.
Daksha Mahadev Temple:
This temple is an ancient shrine located at Kankhal, and is one of the five sacred places around Haridwar. It is associated with Sati, the spouse of Lord Shiva who immolated herself to preserve his honour on being insulted by her father, King Daksha Prajapati. This incident provoked the disciples of Mahadev and killed King Daksha. But later Lord Mahadev brought him back to life. The temple is an attribute to this legend. Daksha Mahadev Temple is also known as Shri Daksheshwar temple.
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's aarti ceremony at the ghat.
Chandi Devi Temple:
This temple is on the top of a hill called the Neel Parvat, on the other side of the river Ganga. The story goes that Chanda-Munda the army chief of the demons Shumbh-Nishumbh were killed by Goddess Chandi hence the name Chandi Devi.
Chandi Devi is a 3 km trek from the Chandi Ghat. Chandi Devi Temple is now accessible by a ropeway also, by the name of Chandi Devi Udankhatola, which starts near Gauri Shanker Temple. There is a dense forest on the other side of the hill inhabited by elephants and other wild animals.
Mansa Devi Temple:
The temple on the top of Bilwa Parvat is dedicated to the Goddess Mansa Devi. Here, one statue of the Goddess has three mouths and five arms while the other statue has eight arms. A beautiful view of the city can be had from this place. There is a Ropeway service by the name of Mansa Devi Udankhatola from lower station to the Mansa Devi Temple which takes only 5 Minutes to reach the Temple. The length of Ropeway is 540 mts and height 178 mts.
Daksha Mahadev Temple:
This temple is an ancient shrine located at Kankhal, and is one of the five sacred places around Haridwar. It is associated with Sati, the spouse of Lord Shiva who immolated herself to preserve his honour on being insulted by her father, King Daksha Prajapati. This incident provoked the disciples of Mahadev and killed King Daksha. But later Lord Mahadev brought him back to life. The temple is an attribute to this legend. Daksha Mahadev Temple is also known as Shri Daksheshwar temple.
Sapta Rishi Ashram:
The Ganges flows in seven streams in front of this Ashram, hence this place is also called Sapt Sarovar. It is said that Saptrishis (Seven sages) trapped the Ganga and agreed to release the River on King Bhagirath's request. The Ashram commemorates the event. This is about 5 km north of Hari ki pauri, where the Ganga had to split into seven streams to avoid the displeasure of Sapta Rishis.
Nature and Wildlife:
The wooded Rajaji National Park, a wildlife sanctuary, is within the bounds of the district and is accessible through different gates; Ranipur and Chilla Gates are just about 9 km from Haridwar.
It is an ideal destination for wildlife and adventure lovers. Sureshvari Devi Mandir, a temple of Goddess Sureshwari, is situated in the midst of Rajaji National Park.
Cheela Dam is a picnic spot with a dam and a man-made lake nearby, elephants and other wild animals could be easily spotted here. Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar is a bird sanctuary, situated on the main Ganges river, or Neel Dhara, at the Bhimgoda Barrage; it is a paradise for bird watchers and home to many migratory birds during the winter season.
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