Haridwar

Hari ka Dwar – The Gateway to Land of Gods

Hardwar is considered one of the seven holiest places (Sapta Puri) of Hindus.

It is said that as per Samundra Manthan, Haridwar as well as Ujjain, Nashik, and Prayagraj (Allahabad) is one of the four sites where drops of Ambrosia fall.

To wash away the sins and to attain Moksha it is suggested to take ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganges. During the Haridwar Kumbh Mela, millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate in Haridwar to perform this ritualistic bathing.

Kumbh Mela occurs after rotation of every twelve years and Ardh Kumbh after every six years. Haridwar is also one of the four places where Kumbh Mela occurs.

Haridwar also served as a center of attraction for learning the arts, science, and culture.

It has long been positioned as a great source for its unique Gurukul Vidyalaya system of traditional education along with Ayurvedic medicines and herbal remedies.

It is also the center of the Kanwar pilgrimage. In sacred writings, Haridwar is variously referred to as Gangadwar, Kapilsthan, and Mayapuri.

It is also known as one of the Char Dham
Char Dham are the four principle focuses of the journey in Uttarakhand viz, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.

In the Garuda Purana, seven cities are said to provide salvation.

These 7 cities are:

1. Ayodhya
2. Mathura
3. Haridwar
4. Kasi
5. Kanchi
6. Avantika
7. Dwaraka

Sites to visit at Haridwar

1. Har ki Pauri (footsteps of Lord Shiva)

   Har ki Pauri is considered the most sacred site in Hardwar. “Hara” means “Lord Shiva” who is a deity according to the Shaishav Bhagwan school of Hindu theology, “Ki” means “——–” and “Pauri” means “Charan”. Each evening at sunset priests performs GANGA ARTI. For the best experience, visit this ghat during sunset when you can catch the famous evening aarti held here every day.

2. Chandi Devi Temple

   Chandi Devi temple is situated atop the Neel Parvat on the eastern summit of the Shivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain range of the Himalayas. Goddess Chandi also is known as Chandika is known for to slain of the Shumbha and Nishumbha Shumbha and Nishumbha are demon kings who captured the kingdom of the god-king of heaven (Indra) and thrown the gods from Swarga (heaven).
   Timing of Chandi Devi is All days of the week 6:00 am – 12:00 am 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm and there is no such entry fee. The Chandi Devi temple is also a preferred choice for trekking tourists.You can also reach the summit of the temple through ropeway, from where the darshans are exhilarating.

   Chandi Devi Ropeway: A convenient route to reach the top of the Chandi Devi temple is via a ropeway ride of about 4-5 km distance and takes you through a scenic route from where you can see the beauty of this place. Chandi Devi ropeway is known as Udankhatola, which costs around Rs 84 per head.

3. Mansa Devi Temple

   Mansa Devi Temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi which is located atop the Bilwa Parvat. Mansa Devi Temple can be reached in two ways: on foot or by cable car. The first cable car starts running at 7 a.m. from April to October, and 8 a.m. the rest of the year. Tickets cost 48 rupees (2013 may) per person, return.Best Season to visit here is Oct – April.

4. Maya Devi Temple

   Maya Devi Temple dedicated to goddess Maya It is believed that the heart and navel of goddess Sati fell in the region where the temple stands today. According to Hindu mythology, Sati (wife of Lord Shiva) set herself on fire to avenge her father’s callous insult to her husband. When Lord Shiva comes to know that Sati killed herself to maintain her honor, she was filled with anger. Enraged Shiva visited the entire universe to carry Sati’s dead body. During this tour, various parts of Sati’s body fell at different places. Hindus believe it was at the temple site of Maya Devi, where Sati’s heart fell down.

   There is no entry fee and Visiting hours are Mon-Fri, 6:00 am to 12:00 pm, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

5. Kankhal

   Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata. It is most known for the Maa Anandamoyi Ashram and Daksheswara Mahadev Temple. Dakshineshwar Mahadev Temple: Kanakhal is best known for the ancient temple of Dakshineswar Mahadev Temple located in Kankhal. At this place, King Daksha Prajapati (father of Sati: the first wife of Lord Shiva), performed a yajna at this place. Daksha Prajapati did not invite Lord Shiva, and Sati felt insulted. Therefore, she burnt herself in the Yagya Kund.
   Footwear is not allowed there.

   
   

   Next to the temple, there is the ‘Daksha Ghat’ on the Ganges, and there is the Nileshwar Mahadev Temple nearby. The Vayu Purana provides details of Daksha’s famous Ashwamedha Yagya.

1. Piran Kaliyar
2. Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar
3. Bhimgoda Tank
4. Dudhadhari Barfani Temple
5. Sureshvari Devi Temple
6. Pawan Dham
7. Bharat Mata Mandir
8. Shopping
9. Sapta Rishi Ashram and Sapta Sarovar
10. Parad Shivling
11. Ramanand Ashram
12. Uma Maheswar Sanyas Ashram
13. Shri Chintamani Parshwnath Jain Shwetambar Mandir
14. Anandamayi Maa Ashram
15. Shantikunj
16. Patanjali Yogpeeth (Trust)
17. Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama

How to reach Haridwar

By Road

By Bus:
Haridwar bus station, throwing a stone from the train station.

By Car: 
Various taxi operators provide taxis from New Delhi & Dehradun to Haridwar.

By Plane

Jolly Grant Airport of Dehradun is the nearest airport.

By Train

Haridwar Junction Railway Station (IR station code : HW) is well-connected by train.