Haridwar
» Location : |
Uttarakhand Region (Uttranchal) |
» Tourist Attractions : |
Har Ki Pauri, Chandi Devi Temple |
» Best Season : |
September to June |
Haridwar
- gateway to the four pilgrimages in the Uttrakhand region, is located on
the foot hills of Shivaliks. It is on the banks of River Ganga. The
Ganga leaves the mountains and enters the plains with Haridwar being the
first major town on the plains.
Though the Ganges does not lose
its rapids completely nevertheless it becomes very quite and calm here. The
water is clean and people prefer taking bath on the numerous ghats built on
the river shores. It is said that taking bath here purifies the soul and
opens the way for the ultimate freedom, Nirvana.
Haridwar
has earned fame as being the place which has been blessed by the trinity of
Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. It is also one of the major
Shaktipeeths.
Down the ages, Haridwar has purified the mind, the
body and the soul. Not only in spiritual or religious terms Haridwar has
come up as a major learning center for arts, science and culture. This place
has maintained the Gurukul tradition of teaching. This ancient tradition of
teaching has maintained its fervour in Haridwar.
Haridwar
has since ages been a source of Ayurvedic medicines and has been providing
herbal remedies. Haridwar one of the first towns to be developed on
Ganges is still lush and green with forest and trees. With Rajaji Park in
the vicinity Haridwar has also been the destination for the wildlife and
nature lovers. The city acquires a unique charm in the evening when the
ghats become breath takingly beautiful with thousands of Diyas and Marigold
floating in the waters of Ganges.
»
Major Attractions of Haridwar |
|
Har Ki Pauri : This ghat is one of the most sacred ghats
in India. People say that this ghat was built by Vikramaditya in memory of
his brother Bhartrihari. This ghat is also known as Brahmakund. In the
evening a Maha Aarti is performed on this ghat. It is an event which is a
must, not be missed by any visitor.
Mansa Devi :
This temple is located on top of a hill called the Bilwa Parvat. The
temple can be reached by the rope way or one can take the normal trekking
route to the top. The top of the hill gives you an excellent view of
Haridwar.
Kavand Mela : The fair is held ten
days before Shivteras, during the Hindu months of Shravan & Phalgun.
Daksha
Mahadev Temple : Four kms from Haridwar is a town called Kankhal.
Mythology says that the king of this place King Daksha Prajapati performed a
yagya. His daughter, Sati was married to Lord Shiva. But Daksha was not
happy with this marriage and did not invite Shiva-Sati in the Yagya. But
Sati came and was insulted by her father. She could not take the insult and
burnt herself in the yagya kund. On hearing this the followers of Shiva
killed Daksha. But later Mahadeo (Shiva) brought Daksha to life. The Daksha
temple is an attribute to this legend. This place is one of the five sacred
places in Haridwar.
Chandi Devi Temple : This
temple is on the top of a hill called the Neel Parvat which is on the other
side of the river Ganga. The temple was constructed by the King of Kashmir,
Suchat Singh, in 1929 AD. Chandi Devi is a three km trek from the Chandi
Ghat.
Sapt Rishi : At one place Ganga divides
herself into seven small streams. This place is known as the Sapt Rishi and
provides a very pleasing sight.
»
Places to Stay in Haridwar |
|
Being a major pilgrimage center, do not expect to get luxury
over here. The accommodations are simple, yet elegant and on a resonable
price. One can easily get accommodation in hotels as well as in Dharamshalas
and in number of Ashrams situated within this religious town. The govt
accommodation include GMVN tourist hotels and Shankar Niwas.
»
Shopping in Haridwar |
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Haridwar is a pilgrimage center and visitors come here to
visit the temples so as such there is no particular item which can be
recommended to be bought here. But Haridwar offers you some good handicraft
items which can be kept as decorative pieces or can be used as gift items.
In the markets surrounding the temples, one can find jewellery imitations
which are very popular among the devotees. The bangles, chains, ear and nose
rings are some items which can be bough there.
Then the shops also
have items made of stone. From Rishikesh, Ganga enters the plains and in all
this area it sheds its load of stones which are not only polished naturally
but come out in amazing shapes and sizes. These stone are used to make small
idols which are very neatly, delicately and intricately carved.
»
Climate in Haridwar |
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Haridwar is located at a height of almost 300 meters.
One Should never expect any sort of pleasant high altitude climate
here. During the summers the temperature usually hangs around 40 degrees but
winters sees the mercury dipping as low as six degrees. So neither of the
seasons are suitable or ideal for tourists to venture in Haridwar. The
monsoons further add to the miseries of the visitors. The best seasons to
visit Haridwar is some where between September and June.
»
How to Get there |
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Air : In the region Air Services are
available only upto Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun.
Rail : The Railways have a station at Haridwar. This
major pilgrimage center has been well connected by trains to all the major
towns of India. In fact trains bring the major load of pilgrims and tourist
inflow to Haridwar.
Road : The National
Highway No - 45 crosses through the city so it is connected to other cities
of the State as well as other towns in India in an efficient manner. There
are buses available from Delhi to this place. The state transport has
ordinary as well as deluxe and semi-deluxe buses on this route for long
distance travel. There are private buses avaialable too, which willtake you
to nearby places and some of these private deluxe buses run on the long
distance routes.