Haridwar is a holy city and municipal board in the Haridwar District of Uttarakhand.
In Hindi, Haridwar stands for Gateway to God, with 'Hari' meaning god and 'dwar'
meaning gate. Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus.
According to Hindu mythology, Haridwar is one among the four sites where drops of
the elixir of immortality, Amrita, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher, in which it
was being carried away by the celestial bird Garuda. These four spots -- Ujjain,
Haridwar, Nasik, and Allahabad -- have today become places, where the Kumbha
Mela is celebrated once every 3 years in any of these 4 places and after a period of
12 years, the Maha Kumbha Mela is celebrated on the 12th year at Prayag in
Allahabad. Millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate here from all over
the world to celebrate the event. They perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the
river Ganga.
The spot where the nectar fell is considered to be the Brahma Kund at Har-ki-Pauri
(literally, "footsteps of the Lord," and symbolically the footprints of the Amrita), the
most sacred ghat of Haridwar; thousands of devotees and pilgrims flock here during
festivals or snan from all over India to take a holy dip. This act is considered to be the
equivalent of washing away one's sins to attain Moksha.
A paradise for nature lovers, Haridwar presents a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and
civilisation. The followers of Lord Shiva (Har) and followers of Lord Vishnu (Hari) call
this place Hardwar and Haridwar respectively.[citation needed] It is also a point of
entry to Dev Bhoomi and Char Dham (the four main centers of pilgrimage in
Uttarakhand viz. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri).
Archaeological findings have proved that terra cotta culture dating between 1700
BCE and 1200 BCE existed in this region.[citation needed] Though first written
evidence of Haridwar is found in the accounts of a Chinese traveller, Huan Tsang,
who visited India in 629 AD.
The legendary King Bhagirath is said to have brought the river Ganga down from
heaven to earth in order to provide salvation to his ancestors. Lord Vishnu is said to
have left his footprint on the stone that is set in the upper wall of Har-Ki-Pauri, where
the Holy Ganga touches it at all time
PLACE TO VISIT
Hari-ki-Pairi - (or Har-ki-Pairi). To the north of the center, this is Haridwar's focal
point, where devotees gather to bathe and worship on the Ganges. According to
legend, this is where a drop of nectar fell from the churning of the oceans when the
world was created, and a stone wall has Vishnu's footprint. Each evening around 7
PM, thousands gather and worship the river Goddess by putting diyas (floating
lamps) in the river. You may be asked to make a donation if you linger near the
ghats. Beware of con artists posing as officials.
Mansa Devi Mandir - atop a hill near the center of town. Can be reached by
cable car (Rs 48 for a return ticket) or by a road that gently winds uphill (about 2 km),
starting from Railway Rd. The temple is esthetically not particularly noteworthy, but
the views are grand. Expect to queue to board the cable car and once more to enter
the temple: despite some rudimentary attempts at crowd control, the crowds of
jostling devotees can make this a pretty intense experience.
Bharat Mata Mandir - 5 km north of the center. Dedicated to Mother India, this
is half temple, half nation building exercise, with seven floors stacked with deities,
saints, and secular heroes of all Indian faiths. Some signage in English.
Chandidevi Mandir - 8-9KM from railway station,you get the combi package
to see both the temples by AC bus including bus and ropeway charges
Daksh mandir -7-8 km from railway station,you get rickshow or you can hire a
auto,near also many mandirs to see at kankhal.
HOW TO REACH
Haridwar is about 200 kms from Delhi, the capital of India and is well connected by
road and rail network from all parts of India.
By plane - Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport, with twice daily service to Delhi on Air
Deccan , is 20 km from Haridwar.
By train - There are daily Rajdhani (overnight, Rs.900 for a 1st class A/C sleeper)
and Shatabdi (daytime, Rs.400 for an A/C seat including meal) expresses from Delhi
(4-5 hours) and Dehradun (1 hour). But buses are faster and much more frequent.
The train station is located on the south side of town, within walking distance to most
hotels but a 2-km hike to Hari-ki-Pairi.
By bus - Haridwar's bus station, a stone's throw from the train station, is chaotic
and has no signage whatsoever in English. There are regular bus services from
Delhi (4-5 hours), Rishikesh (1 hour) and other important towns of North India to
Haridwar.
