Haridwar

Haridwar is situated at the base of the Shivalik hills, where the Ganges comes down from the mighty Himalayas meets the plains. Haridwar literally is 'The gateway to the Gods'. "This place is very beautiful", at one sight one will say so and fall in love with the scenic beauty of the blend of height and plains.

A Gateway to the four pilgrimage of Uttarakhand, Haridwar is also known as Gangadwar, Tapovan and Mayapuri. In its long history back to pre-historic time, the Haridwar got this name from the Rishis.

According to the mythology it is known as Kapilsthan. legend says that the Suryavnshi Prince Bhagirath performed penance here to salvage the souls of his ancestors who had perished due to the curse of the sage Kapila.

The penance was answered and the river Ganga trickled forth from Lord Shiva's locks and its bountiful waters revived the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara. Mythological, drops of nectar churned out from the primordial ocean fell at the four sites of the Kumbh mela including Haridwar.

The Kumbh mela, happening once every 12 years and the Ardha Kumbha Mela (Coming once every six years) are big draws. One of the oldest living cities, Hairdwar has been in people's mind from the period of Buddha to the British advent and now even is the 21st century. Besides being a religious place, it has served as the center for learning arts, science and culture.

Places of Interest

Har ki Pauri
This most sacred Ghat was built by King Vikramaditya in memory of his brother Bhatrihari, who is said to have meditated on the banks of Ganga in Haridwar. It is also known as Brahamakund and is the site for the famous Kumbh Mela. Large number of devotees take a holy dip in Ganga over here. The evening Ganga Aarti provides a truly enchanting experience as large number of ornate oil lamps (diyas) with dozens of flames burning in pure ghee are offered to Mother Ganga accompanied with devotional songs and prayers. A temple on the river bank here is said to have an imprint of Lord Hari's footprint.

Canal Centenary Bridge
It affords a panoramic view of the Ghats and Ganga canal.

Maya Devi Temple
The ancient temple is dedicated to Goddess Maya Devi, the Adhisthatri deity of Haridwar. It is regarded as one of the Siddhapeethas and according to mythology the heart and navel of Goddess Sati had fallen over here.

Mansa Devi Temple
It is perched atop the Bilwa Parwat and can be reached by a rope-way with its brightly coloured cable cars or on foot. A statue of the Goddess here has three mouths and five arms, while the other one has eight arms. The temple commands a fine view of Haridwar.

Daksha Mahadev Temple
This ancient Shiva (Mahadev) temple is located in the south Kankhal town. The mythological legends state that King Daksha Prajapati, the father of Sati (Lord Shiva's consort) performed a yagya here, but didn't invite Lord Shiva. Sati was offended by her father's behaviour and sacrificed her life by jumping into the fire of yagya. Infuriated Lord Shiva killed King Daksha, but later brought him back to life.

Chandi Devi Temple
It is set atop Neel Parvat on the banks of Ganga. The shrine was built by Suchat Singh, the king of Kashmir in 1929, but the main statue is said to be established by the Adi Shankaracharya in 8th century. According to a legend Goddess Chandi killed demons Chanda - Munda, the army chief of demon kings Shumbh Nisnumbha here. The temple is 3 Km trek from Chandighat.

Sapt Rishi Ashram and Sapt Sarovar
The legendary site is said to be the place where Saptarshis (seven sages) meditated and river Ganga, not wanting to disturb them split herself into seven streams (Sapt Sarovar) around them.

Gurukul Kangri University
This old centre of herbal medicine and traditional studies is located on the Haridwar-Jwalapur bypass road. The Ved Mandir Museum here exhibits archaeological exhibition.

Other places of interest - Kanva Rishi Ashram; Bilkeshwar Mahadev; Pawan Dham; Bhooma Niketan; Vaishnav Devi Temple; Doodhadhari Temple; Shahi Gurudwara; Jairam Ashram.

Rajaji National Park (Chilla)
The park endowed with pristine beauty and rich bio-diversity covers an area of 820 sq. Km on the edge of the Doon Valley about 10 Km from Haridwar. It was established in 1996 and has over 23 species of mammals and 315 avifauna species. It is a safe heven for elephant, tiger, panther, bear, chital, sambar, wild boar, barking deer, python, monitor lizard etc. Elephants are available for wildlife viewing at Chilla and Dholkand.

Piran Kaliyar
It is 23 Km south of Haridwar, on the outskirts of Roorkee, an important educational centre. The 'Dargah' of Hazrat Makhdum Allauddin Ali Ahmed Shah 'Sabir' here is a shining example of communal harmony and peace. It is believed that the wishes of the devotees devout are fulfiled here and large number of devotees from all faiths and religions visit the dargah from all over the world. The annual Urs is celebrated from 1st day of sighting the moon to 16th day of Rabeeull month Islamic calendar.